Hertha players could face pay cuts
BERLIN, Germany (Reuters) -- The players of troubled Hertha Berlin face sanctions including possible salary cuts after their poor run in the first half of the Bundesliga season.
Hertha executive manager Dieter Hoeness said they had to accept responsibility after the capital club entered the winter break second from bottom in the standings.
Several newspapers reported on Thursday that the players had been asked to approve a plan to reduce their salaries by 25 percent.
"It's all speculation but it is a possibility," a Hertha spokesman said of the reports.
And Hungary midfielder Pal Dardai said he was not against the idea.
"I would be ready to get less money but whether the team would accept a proposal for the salaries to be reduced by 25 percent is something we have to talk about," Dardai told Berlin daily Tagesspiegel in an interview to be published on Friday.
Hertha, who had started the season saying their goal was to qualify for the Champions League, sacked coach Huub Stevens this month.
Andreas Thom replaced him on a caretaker basis but Hoeness said the ex-Hertha player would not stay after the team picked up just two points from three games during his spell in charge.
Hoeness said a new coach should be appointed on January 3.
