Juventus players agree to 4-month wage freeze amid pandemic
Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.
Juventus manager Maurizio Sarri and his players agreed to freeze their wages for four months due to the coronavirus pandemic. The move is expected to save the club roughly €90 million.
As a result, salaries won't be paid through June.
All sporting events in Italy, including Serie A, are suspended until at least April 3 as the country continues to deal with one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in the world. Over 92,000 people have contracted the virus in Italy, with the death toll topping 10,000 as of Saturday, the most of any nation.
Three Juventus players - Daniele Rugani, Blaise Matuidi, and Paulo Dybala - tested positive for COVID-19.
The club said in a statement that personal agreements with the players and Sarri will be finalized in the "coming weeks."
"Should the current season's matches be rescheduled, the club will negotiate in good faith with the players and the coach conditional increases of compensations according to the actual resumption and finalization of official competitions," the statement reads.
Juventus sat atop the Serie A table when play was halted, one point up on Lazio.
"Juventus would like to thank the players and the coach for their commitment at a difficult time for everyone," the club said.
Other European sides, including Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, have come to similar agreements with their players.
HEADLINES
- Inter beat Como to keep in touch with leaders Atalanta
- Serie A basement dwellers Monza fire coach Nesta
- Mancini regrets leaving Italy for Saudi Arabia: I quit 'most beautiful' job
- Serie A roundup: Atalanta reclaim 1st place, Dybala gets Roma back on track
- Napoli hang on to beat Genoa as Balotelli squanders late chance