Harry Redknapp slams Tottenham chief Levy and club for slashing wages of 550 non-playing staff due to coronavirus
HARRY REDKNAPP slammed his old Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy for slashing the wages of non-playing staff.
Levy will use the Government’s furlough scheme as 550 Spurs employees take a 20 per cent cut — while players on mega-money deals still bank full pay.
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And ex-manager Redknapp is shocked by the decision to hit the ordinary workers.
He also called on Tottenham’s top earners — and all the Premier League big hitters — to donate a chunk of their salaries to help the NHS and the country.
Redknapp, 73, said: “I can’t believe it. Surely players should be taking a cut. This isn’t for big clubs like Tottenham.
“I thought the Government were going to pay ordinary people who are struggling and help small businesses who are struggling.
“But you are talking here about a club where their players earn £10-12million a year.
“Tottenham are owned by Joe Lewis, one of the richest men in the world, and his club are cutting the wages of all their non-football staff by 20 per cent. I can’t believe it.
“Here is a club where the average player earns £80,000, £90,000, £100,000 a week.
“And that’s average! Their top players earn £150,000 a week, maybe even £200,000 a week.
“Surely, players should be taking a cut.
“I know their minds and they don’t want to be going it alone but they will do it if all their team-mates do it.
“They can all afford to hand over ten per cent and I’d like to see the captain of every Premier League club call a meeting and say, ‘Come on, guys, we are all in it together, let’s donate to help our staff’.
“They can all have a meeting by phone.
“They all know the importance of helping out the staff and they will want to help — they know there are a lot of people struggling.”
Speaking on the new and exclusive ’Arry Redknapp Podcast launched today, he added: “They know this country isn’t going to be the same again.
“It is going to hit everyone — the corner shops, cafes, hotels.
“All kinds of people will go under and they will need all the help this game can give them.”
Meanwhile, Redknapp predicts the Premier League’s elite will react like nothing has happened in the world and that insanity will resume in the grossly inflated transfer market.
The FA Cup-winning manager is convinced that Manchester United and Chelsea will not hesitate to splash out £100m — or even £150m — to buy 20-year-old Jadon Sancho.
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Redknapp said: “I remember back when the Bosman rule came in and people were saying there would never be another big transfer because players can walk out for free at the end of their contract. That didn’t last for long.
“So in the future, when everything quietens down again, clubs that have players that other teams want, and that’s the asking price, they won’t budge.
“What will the buying club do then?”
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