Three ex-Liverpool heroes have condemned the club’s decision to furlough staff.
Anfield chiefs announced on Saturday that some non-playing employees were going to be placed on temporary leave due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Workers will see 80 per cent of their regular wages covered by the government’s job retention scheme with the Reds making up the other 20%.
But the move has been slammed by several of the club’s former players with Jamie Carragher expressing his dismay at the Premier League leaders’ stance.
“Jurgen Klopp showed compassion for all at the start of this pandemic, senior players heavily involved in @premierleague players taking wage cuts”, he tweeted.
“Then all that respect & goodwill is lost, poor this @LFC.”
Carragher’s former teammate Dietmar Hamann also condemned the move.
He said: ‘Astonished by the news that @LFC takes advantage of the furlough scheme to claim 80 % of non playing staffs wages back of the government.
“That’s not what the scheme was designed for. Contrary to the morals and values of the club I got to know.”
One-time Liverpool striker Stan Collymore also slated his former employers’ decision.
“I don’t know of any Liverpool fan of any standing that won’t be anything other than disgusted at the club for furloghing staff,” wrote Collymore.
“It’s just plain fucking wrong.”
Explaining the decision to furlough staff, a club statement said: “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.”