Roma players, coach to forgo remainder of season's pay

Rome (AFP) – Roma players and coach Paulo Fonseca have agreed to go without pay for the rest of the season to help the club’s finances during the coronavirus pandemic, the Serie A outfit said on Sunday.

The deal means the players, Fonseca and his coaching staff will give up their salaries for March, April, May and June, although Roma said that should the current campaign end up being completed “an incentive plan to be paid subject to the achievement of certain sporting objectives” had been agreed.

They had also agreed to “collectively pay the difference” to ensure that employees who have been placed on a partial unemployment scheme will receive their regular salary, the club added.

“(Captain) Edin Dzeko, all the players and Paulo have demonstrated they understand what this club stands for and we also thank them all for their superb gesture towards the employees at this club,” said CEO Guido Fienga.

Italy has suffered more than  23,000 coronavirus deaths, second only to the United States, and all organised sport has been suspended since March 9.

The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has said that it wants the season to be finished come the end of Italy’s COVID-19 lockdown, currently scheduled for May 4.

Earlier this month, Serie A clubs unanimously agreed to cut the salaries of players, coaches and staff, with the exception of Juventus, who had already hammered out a deal with their own players.

Each club’s squad will have to agree to waive between two and four months’ salary.