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    Monday, May 13, 2024

    John Henry's under fire for furloughing some Liverpool FC staff

    Red Sox owner John Henry, who also owns Liverpool FC of the English Premier League, is under fire for furloughing LFC employees during coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

    Boston — Red Sox owner John Henry is under fire in England after his Liverpool Football Club announced they'd place some non-playing staff on temporary leave.

    The move to furlough employees is a way for Liverpool to avoid paying full wages during the coronavirus pandemic.

    Instead, the government will pay 80 percent of the furloughed employees' full salaries while Liverpool will cover the other 20 percent, according to BBC Sport.

    Liverpool, also owned by Henry, is two wins away from securing a Premier League title that will net the club a lucrative bonus. Last year, the club finished second in the table and earned over £150 million for its finish. It also received a £100 million prize for winning the Champions League.

    Former Liverpool captain Jamie Carragher tweeted his disappointment.

    His tweet read: "Jurgen Klopp showed compassion for all at the start of this pandemic, senior players heavily involved in Premier League players taking wage cuts. Then all that respect and goodwill is lost — poor this, LFC."

    BBC Sport also spoke to a staff member at Liverpool who told the outlet, "The club call their staff their family — I'm not feeling like a family member.

    "Why is a club that turns over [millions of pounds] using a government scheme for its staff, when other businesses are more in need of it?"

    Smaller clubs Newcastle, Tottenham, Bournemouth and Norwich have also said they'd furlough some staff, though Everton has said it will not.

    This comes as teams have already said they'd ask players to take a 30% wage cut to protect jobs during the suspension of games.

    According to BBC, Liverpool released a statement that read, "Even prior to the decision on staff furloughing, there was a collective commitment at senior levels of the club — on and off the pitch — with everyone working towards a solution that secures jobs for employees of the club during this unprecedented crisis.

    "There is ongoing active engagement about the topic of salary deductions during the period matches are not being played to schedule. These discussions are complex and as a result the process is ongoing."

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