Piqué says Barcelona’s veteran players taking salary cuts

By TALES AZZONI
AP Sports Writer

MADRID (AP) — Gerard Piqué says Barcelona’s veteran players are taking salary reductions to help the financially troubled club. Piqué says he has already accepted a reduction and that veteran teammates Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Sergi Roberto are expected to do the same soon. All four players are captains at the club. Piqué says he had to be the first to take the reduction so the club could register some of its new players in time for the opening league game on Sunday. The Catalan club lost Lionel Messi because it couldn’t give him a new contract that would fit into the Spanish league’s strict financial fair play regulations.