MILAN (REUTERS, AFP) - Wage cuts for footballers should not be ruled out as the sport tackles the effects of the stoppage caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the head of Italy's football federation (FIGC) said on Wednesday (March 19).
Italy has emerged as the worst-hit country outside China with over 35,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus and nearly 3,000 deaths.
The Italian Serie A was the first of the five big European leagues to be suspended and the stoppage is expected to last for weeks or months, causing significant damage to clubs' revenues.
"It can't be taboo to talk about salary cuts," FIGC president Gabriele Gravina told Radio 24. "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."
In reply, the head of the Italian Players' Union Damiano Tommasi said "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."
"We all have an interest in preserving the economic balance and for this very reason we must evaluate all the elements of the moment," he told ANSA news agency.
"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."
Meanwhile, Gravina expressed his hope that the Serie A would resume on May 2 with a possible finish in July at the latest.
All Italian sport has been suspended until April 3 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic which has forced the postponement of Euro 2020.
"I don't even want to think that we won't start again, it would be a hiatus, it would worry me for our country," Gravina said.
"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.
"In the event that it's impossible to use all the windows as planned, we will resort to a change in the format of the competitions."
The FIGC president welcomed the postponement of the European Championship until 2021, stating as far as it was concerned, "national championships have priority".
"We don't want to penalise anyone, but just as we evaluate format changes in the event of a reduction of the windows to play, so Uefa must do so by remodelling the Champions and Europa League," added Gravina.
The Champions League final is scheduled to take place on June 27 and the Europa League final on June 24.
Italy's sports minister Vincenzo Spadafora backed Gravina's estimation "that Serie A can resume on May 3". "At least that's what we hope for," he said. "We will then assess whether it will be behind closed or open doors."
Eight teams have 13 Serie A games left to play with the remainder having 12, with four Italian sides still in European competition, and a Coppa Italia semi-final, second-leg match and final still to be played.
Meanwhile, Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) chief Giovanni Malago confirmed an extraordinary council of its organisation would take place on March 26 with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics up for discussion.
"There is no deadline for the Olympics, but in the minds of those who know our world, we know that to understand if Tokyo 2020 can take place as scheduled, we cannot go beyond the last week of May or the first week of June," Malago told Sky Sports Italia.
"Health comes first and foremost, common sense must prevail. We don't know how long this health crisis will last."
