"We professional soccer players are a particularly privileged professional group, for whom it is a matter of course to make financial sacrifices when there is a need," the goalkeeper told the daily newspapers tz and munchner merkur.
"FC bayern has around 1,000 employees and many more who perform important tasks for the club. As a team, we want to help them with our renunciation and offer them security," said the national goalkeeper, who turns 34 on friday.
The team council around neuer had agreed with chairman karl-heinz rummenigge, sports director hasan salihamidzic and board member oliver kahn that the players as well as board and supervisory board members would waive 20 percent of their salaries. The money is to be used to avoid short-time work at FC bayern for the time being, and the employees are not to suffer any disadvantages in the corona crisis.
Neuer had already announced a donation of 2.5 million euros with his national team colleagues, the exact use of which is still being discussed. "The decision was not difficult at all, because it is self-evident. It was a circle of players who discussed it with the team management, and it was then my task as captain to inform all the other players. What was great was the immediate positive response I received in every conversation," said neuer, who is also captain of the DFB selection team.
The 2014 world champion praises the basic willingness to help in competitive sports. "That is of course already what one hears from many clubs. But you shouldn"t forget that there are a whole lot of athletes who have been helping out and doing social work tirelessly for years," said neuer. The man from gelsenkirchen has himself been involved for years with the "manuel neuer kids foundation" for the benefit of socially disadvantaged children and young people.
Also the professionals of fubball-bundesligist 1. FC union berlin, like the coaching team and staff, forgo salary in wake of coronavirus crisis. "This willingness cannot be credited highly enough to all those involved," said president dirk zingler. "We will master the challenges of the next few months as a union, and the best way to do that is to show solidarity within the union family."
The team of the licensed player department agreed to a salary waiver. Managers and employees agreed to short-time working arrangements, which also means reduced income. In the case of short-time work, the federal employment agency takes over 60 percent of the lost net wages. For employees with children, the figure is 67 percent. Nationwide there is already a rush of companies to the extended short-time allowance in the corona crisis.
"The team council had very good communication with the club from day one. Everyone is ready to help the club. There"s no other way," said captain christopher trimmel during a skype video conference with media representatives.