Aston Villa players to take 25 percent cut in salaries for four months

English Premier League club Aston Villa have announced that their first-team players and coaching staff have agreed to take a 25 percent cut in their salaries for four months to ease the financial stress of the club caused by the stoppage of football due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I am pleased to announce today measures to protect the livelihoods of our precious staff and their families,” Aston Villa CEO, Christian Purslow, said in a statement on the official website of the club.

“First-team players, first-team coaches and senior management have all agreed to defer 25 percent of their salaries for four months to assist the club during this period of uncertainty with a further review taking place at the end of this period,” he added.

The CEO also added that the non-playing full-time and part-time staff would be retained throughout the crisis period and be paid their complete salary during the lockdown period.

The Premier League had extended the suspension of the current season beyond May and said it “will only return when it is safe and appropriate to do so” amid the deadly outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“First and foremost, it was reaffirmed that the overriding priority is to aid the health and wellbeing of the nation and our communities, including players, coaches, managers, club staff and supporters.” the Premier League had said in an official statement.

However, a BBC report had earlier stated that the clubs were likely to put June 30 as the deadline to decide if the 2019-20 season would continue or be scrapped amid the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic which has brought all forms of professional football into a standstill in the United Kingdom and in most parts of Europe.

The clubs were reportedly mulling such a decision because June 30 marks the end and beginning of several player contracts and sponsorship deals.