Coronavirus: Roma players, coach and staff forego four months' wages

Roma's first-team squad and coaching staff have agreed to forego four months of pay to help the club during the coronavirus pandemic.

They have also agreed to top up the salaries of Roma employees placed on the Italian government's job retention scheme so they receive their usual net pay while football is suspended.

Serie A was put on hold in March after initially playing some games behind closed doors, but it is hoped teams will be able to return to training on May 4.

If the 2019-20 season does continue and is completed, the club, players, coach and his staff have agreed an incentive plan to be paid upon attaining unspecified sporting objectives.

© Getty Images Roma players celebrate

Roma CEO Guido Fienga said: "We always talk about unity at Roma and in volunteering to cut their salaries for the rest of the season, the players, the coach, and his staff, have all proved that we really are in this together.

"Edin [Dzeko], all the players and Paulo [Fonseca] have demonstrated they understand what this club stands for and we also thank them all for their superb gesture towards the employees at this club."

The Giallorossi have not played a competitive match since March 1.

Italy has over 175,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with more than 23,000 people having died after testing positive.

In a letter to Fienga, the players wrote: "We are writing to express our support to the company for all that it is doing in this period to overcome the difficulties created by the COVID-19 emergency.

"We players are ready to start playing as soon as possible, giving the maximum to achieve our goals, but we also realise that all this will not be enough to face the economic consequences of the current emergency.

"With the hope of doing something that will help the company to better restart the Roma project that we all share, we offer this financial proposal.

"We also confirm all of our support for the initiatives of Roma and Roma Cares to help those who find themselves in difficulty because of the virus. Forza Roma!"