‘Shameless hypocrisy, as ever’: Rival fans fume at ‘disgusting’ spending as Liverpool and Tottenham splash £38m for Thiago and Gareth Bale… just months after both clubs tried to use FURLOUGH scheme to pay staff
- Tottenham and Liverpool’s spending caught the eye of rival clubs’ supporters
- Gareth Bale is off to Tottenham and Thiago to Liverpool in lucrative transfers
- Many described their actions as hypocritical after the clubs both tried to take advantage of the government furlough scheme to pay non-playing staff
- Liverpool and Tottenham eventually reversed that plan but they were ridiculed
Deals for Gareth Bale to go to Tottenham and Thiago Alcantara to go to Liverpool saw rival fans lead criticism against the clubs, months after they attempted to use the government’s furlough scheme.
Both clubs eventually reversed their decision to use the furlough scheme following a public backlash.
Tottenham, who saw Bale and Real Madrid team-mate Sergio Reguilon arrive at the training ground on Friday ahead of sealing a £40million double swoop, announced on March 31 that 550 staff members would take a 20 per cent pay cut in an attempt ‘to protect jobs’.
Gareth Bale arrived at Tottenham’s training ground ahead of sealing his loan return
Thiago Alcantara said goodbye to Bayern Munich as he closes in on a switch to Liverpool
Rival fans described the spending as ‘disgusting’ as both clubs attempted to use the government’s furlough scheme to pay non-playing staff earlier in the year due to Covid-19
Now both are spending on players, one user described the situation as ‘shameless hypocrisy’
One fan said it ‘makes me laugh’ to see both clubs shift their approach in a matter of months
After the swoop for Bale and Reguilon edged closer on Friday when they landed at Luton airport on chairman Daniel Levy’s private jet, rival fans were furious at the hypocrisy shown by the north London side.
One user wrote: ‘April 2020: Spurs reversed their decision to use government’s furlough scheme.
‘June 2020: Spurs borrowed £175m from the UK government to help cope with the financial impact of cov19. Sep 2020: Spurs spend £80m on transfers and agreed to pay Gareth Bale £500k per week.’
While Spurs are not believed to be covering all of Bale’s wages at Real Madrid, their outlay is significant and does smash their current wage structure.
Another irate fan described the conduct of the two Premier League giants as ‘disgraceful’
A timeline from April 2020 to September 2020 showed the shift in Tottenham’s spending
Another irritated football fan commented: ‘So Spurs are thought to be paying AT LEAST half of Bale’s £500k wages for the next year.
‘Yet rewind a few months and they were crying poverty and trying to furlough club staff. Disgusting.’
Criticism was not just limited to Tottenham, with Liverpool also in the eye of the storm on Friday after it emerged Thiago had arrived at the club’s training ground to finalise his move from Germany.
Liverpool planned to submit a request to use the furlough scheme but after criticism from supporters and former players, including Jamie Carragher, the Premier League champions reversed the decision.
Liverpool were also criticised as they prepared to announce the signing of Thiago on Friday
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp was picked apart for his comments criticising Chelsea’s spending
One user wrote: ‘Jurgen Klopp badmouthing Chelsea’s spending then putting pressure on Liverpool to spend £27m on Thiago despite the club *having* to furlough staff over lockdown is disgraceful.’
Liverpool made a profit of £42m in 2019 and are the world’s seventh-richest football club – making their decision to furlough initially perplexing.
‘Liverpool signing Thiago Alcantara after attempting to furlough their staff?’ an Arsenal fan wrote.
‘Biggest club in England.’
