Juventus players to forgo €90 million to help club through coronavirus crisis

Italian league leaders Juventus have announced players and manager have agreed to forgo €90 million in wages to help the club through the coronavirus crisis.

In the first agreement of its kind in Seria A, the money amounts to four months of wages, with the league's highest paid player Cristiano Ronaldo giving up around €10 million himself.

Juventus captain Giorgio Chiellini, who has an economics degree, led the negotiations with the club and fellow players.

“Should the current season's matches be rescheduled, the club will negotiate in good faith with the players and the coach conditional increases of compensations according to the actual resumption and finalization of official competitions,” the Italian champions said in a statement.

All sports in Italy have been suspended under a nationwide lockdown through April 3, with the shut down of the country expected to be extended. 

Three Juventus players have tested positive for COVID-19: Daniele Rugani, Blaise Matuidi and Paulo Dybala.

Italy is the hardest hit country in the world, with 92,000 cases and more than 10,000 deaths confirmed.