To become “Marseillais à vie”, Dimitri Payet has chosen to cut his salary significantly to extend OM until 2024 and prepare for his retraining, a strong sign of “stability”, according to its president, Jacques-Henri Eyraud.
Behind two flocked jerseys, one “Payet” the other “Marseillais à vie”, the three bosses made an unexpected move, at a time when their club must, like others, overcome the economic crisis due to the pandemic, and prepare for the next Champions League with debts.
The boss on the ground, Payet (33), extends two seasons and will decrease his salary.
The club’s boss, Eyraud, gave the details, at the request of N.10 who wanted to “play cards on the table”.
Payet will “halve his salary for 2020-2021 and 30% for 2021-2022,” said “JHE”.
Its current emoluments are estimated at around 500,000 euros gross monthly.
Over the two more years of his contract, from 2022 to 2024, Payet then agreed “that his base salary will be reduced by 40 to 60% and waived his European qualification bonuses,” added the manager.
Finally, his salary for the last two seasons will be indexed to the number of matches played.
“These two years will be on merit, it will be up to me to go get them,” insisted the player.
The third boss of OM – pending the arrival of the “Head of football – coach André Villas-Boas also praised” a considerable effort, very human “, recalling that one of Payet’s sons had just joined an OM sport-study.
“I do it because the club needs it, it has to save money,” added Payet, explaining that “the idea started to sprout in my head when the club spoke about the + Phase 2+” of the project. Eyraud / McCourt. The players have to make an effort, who better than me to lead by example? ”
For his part, this long-term commitment “allows me to project myself, to stay here in Marseille where I am at home”, continued “Dim”, explaining that he had not yet thought what type of position he was considering.
“I love the club and I’m ready to do whatever it takes to help it grow,” said Payet.
“The club picked me up a number of years ago when I needed it, they did what it took to keep me coming back. What the club gave me, I want to give it back, “he added.
Having passed OM for the first time (2013-2015), “Dim” returned to La Canebière in the 2017 winter transfer window, where he was the big recruit of the McCourt project: 30 million euros to repatriate him from West Ham (England).
Titled in a press conference about the fact that he had refused to lower his salary during the pandemic, Payet returned to this episode.
“I have three companies, I’ve closed one, there’s a second one I’m trying to save, but it’s complicated,” he says, explaining that he needed the money then.
These “two months’ salary would have helped the club, but I wanted to do something more concrete, symbolic. It has more impact,” he insisted.
As for the criticisms of his attitude at the time, “they pass me over,” he replied.
This surprise announcement, good on the sporting level, Payet having been the best Olympian of the season truncated by the Covid-19, also allows Eyraud to speak long term in the aftermath of the crazy day agitated by the announcement of an offer of buyout at 300 million euros, a project carried by Toulon from rugby Mourad Boudjellal.
“What interests us is the stability, the vision”, launched “JHE” by presenting the extension of Payet with lower salary as “an event that is in line with” this will.
About duration, in 2024, Payet will be 37 years old.
“Time is not my friend,” he admitted, but by the summer of 2019 doubts had already been raised about “going back to the left at 32, and I think you have the answer.” “, concluded with a smile the” Marseillais à vie “.
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