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French football clubs to stage strike over wealth tax

Clubs from France's two top football leagues will boycott matches during last weekend of November in protest at new 'super tax' on high earners.

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Clubs in France's Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 are to go on strike for one weekend in protest at the French government's plans for a new "super tax" on wealth, reports The Guardian.

The nation's Professional Clubs' Union (UCPF) announced on Thursday there would be no matches staged on the weekend of 29 November – 2 December.

Under the proposal, companies, rather than individuals, will be liable to pay the 75% rate for the part of employees' annual salaries that exceed €1m. Paris St-Germain, who are owned by Qatar, will be the hardest hit, while Monaco, backed by a Russian billionaire, will be exempt as they do not fall under French tax laws.

The clubs had initially hoped they would be exempt, but the sports minister, Valérie Fourneyron, confirmed last month that that would not be the case.

A statement on the official LFP website said: "This day 'football in danger, all together!' is unprecedented in the history of French football, as a first initiative from football to protest against the introduction of exceptional tax on high salaries paid by employees under the draft budget law for 2014.

"This tax is unfair and discriminatory. The economic crisis has not spared the clubs who have had their ticket sales and television rights decrease for three consecutive years."

Read more of this report from The Guardian.