Former Arsenal stars Alex Song and Johan Djourou are among NINE players who have left FC Sion after refusing to take a pay cut during the coronavirus outbreak.
Football clubs across Europe are facing financial difficulties with all sport on hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Alex Song spent six years at Arsenal before leaving to join Barcelona, and later returned to the Premier League with West Ham.
Switzerland international Johan Djourou was not a huge success at Arsenal, but enjoyed a good spell at Hamburg after leaving the Emirates
The Swiss league, like leagues in England and elsewhere in Europe, has been halted and many clubs are being left with major problems with paying players and staff.
FC Sion has offered their players reduced wages during the outbreak, in a bid to keep the club afloat until the season resumes.
However, according to Swiss news outlets, a host of their players have now been sacked after refusing to agree to the new terms.
Although the club has not confirmed the dismissals, is it claimed nine players have left the club, including former Arsenal players Song and Djourou and also their club captain Xavier Kouassi.
Former Fulham forward Pajtim Kasami has also departed, as has ex-Newcastle man Seydou Doumbia, with Ermir Lenjani, Mickael Facchinetti, Christian Zock and Birama Ndoye also now without a club.
The ten-team Swiss Super League was stopped on March 1 with 13 fixtures left to play, after the government banned gatherings of more than 1,000 people.
Sion are eighth in the table and just only four points above the relegation zone.
Source : Talksport