Coronavirus: Serie A clubs unanimously agree to wage cuts to counter financial fallout

Italian champions Juventus had already put a plan in place that would see playing staff take a 70 per cent reduction in salaries

Inter Milan's Romelu Lukaku is mobbed by teammates after scoring against AC Milan. EPA

AC Milan forward Ante Rebic scores the opening goal at the San Siro. AFP

Zlatan Ibrahimovic celebrates after putting AC Milan 2-0 ahead on the stroke of half time. AFP

Inter's Marcelo Brozovic starts the comeback for Inter. EPA

Inter Milan's Matias Vecino puts the sides level. AP

Inter Milan's defender Stefan de Vrij celebrates after giving the home side the lead. AFP

Romelu Lukaku adds the fourth and sparks wild celebrations. EPA

Inter Milan players celebrate after winning the derby match. AP

Inter Milan's head coach Antonio Conte is playing down title chances. AP

Inter's Romelu Lukaku celebrates after the match. Reuters

Milan's Zlatan Ibrahimovic looks dejected. EPA

Serie A clubs unanimously reached agreement on Monday night to cut the salaries of players, coaches and staff to help offset the financial damage caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Italian football officials announced.

All football in Italy has been suspended since March 9 as a result of the outbreak that has killed more than 16,000 people in the country.

Players' salaries will be reduced by a third of their gross annual earnings if the season should be cancelled, and a sixth if it resumes.

The decision was unanimously approved by Serie A clubs, with the exception of Juventus, who had already hammered out a deal with its own players.

Individual agreements must still be signed between the clubs and players, who will waive between two and four months' salary.

Serie A repeated after Monday's videoconference meeting with club presidents its "desire to conclude the season and resume play, without taking any risks, only when health conditions and government decisions allow".

It said the action "was necessary to safeguard the future of the entire Italian football system".

But the head of the Italian footballers' association (AIC), Damiano Tommasi, blasted the proposal as "incomprehensible".

"I can't understand the business logic behind this behaviour, putting the players, the main protagonists of the show, in a bad light, when almost everyone is already discussing with clubs how to get out of this crisis together," Tommasi said. "It seems crazy to me."

League leaders Juventus announced late last month that they had cut their players' and manager Maurizio Sarri's salaries over the period from March to June.

The Italian champions estimated that the cuts would have "a positive impact of €90 million (Dh357m) on the 2019/2020 financial year".

The move by Serie A is in stark contrast to their English counterparts as the Premier League remains embroiled in a row with clubs and players over wage cuts.

Former Manchester United and England captain Wayne Rooney has been one of the most vocal figures in the row, calling the UK government and Premier League authorities a "disgrace" for "scapegoating" the players.