Italian football federation chief won't rule out wage cuts for players

The head of the Italian football federation (FIGC) said Wednesday that the idea of wage reductions for players should not be dismissed as the sport reels from a stoppage amid the coronavirus pandemic.

"It can’t be taboo to talk about salary cuts," FIGC chairman Gabriele Gravina told Radio 24, courtesy of Reuters.

"We must understand that the emergency applies to everyone and our world must also have the ability to change. We have been called upon to make gestures of great responsibility."

With 35,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and nearly 3,000 resulting deaths, Italy has been affected more than any other European nation and is second worldwide behind China.

Serie A was the first of Europe's top five leagues to suspend play, and several members of first teams and technical staffs from clubs across the top tier of Italian football have confirmed cases of COVID-19.

The head of the Italian players' union, Damiano Tommasi, responded to Gravrina's statement by saying, "The sustainability of the football system during and after this global crisis is obviously of extreme interest to all those who live in this system, including footballers."

Tommasi didn't echo Gravina's remarks about not ruling out wage cuts, though he did point out where his constituents will suffer consequences. "Lack of revenue, postponement of competitions, cancellation of events, government contributions, federal aid, support from international institutions. All of these elements will affect the players," Tommasi said.

Gravina added Wednesday that he's hopeful Serie A can resume play in early May. "We're working on the hypothesis of starting again on May 2 and completing the championships possibly going into July if we don't achieve it by June 30," he said.