Coronavirus: Southampton players, staff defer wages

ANKARA

English football club Southampton's players, staff and board of directors have agreed to defer a portion of their wages for three months over the financial fallout from coronavirus.

''The board of directors, the first-team manager, his coaching staff and the first-team squad have agreed to defer part of their salaries for the months of April, May and June to help protect the future of the club, the staff that work within it and the community we serve,'' the club announced on Thursday.

It added that they took the necessary measures to ensure that the rest of the club's staff get 100% of their payments until June 30.

Sports clubs around the world are facing the fallout from the outbreak as leagues and major tournaments remain either suspended or canceled.

Global virus infections are nearing 1.5 million as governments worldwide struggle to get the pandemic under control.

Almost 90,000 people have died after contracting the virus in 184 countries, according to latest figures by Johns Hopkins University.

In the U.K., whose prime minister is in intensive case after testing positive for COVID-19, more than 61,000 cases have been diagnosed while 7,111 people have lost their lives.