England manager Gareth Southgate agrees 30 per cent pay-cut during coronavirus shutdown
England manager Gareth Southgate has agreed to take a 30 per cent pay-cut amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Southgate was due to lead the Three Lions at Euro 2020 this summer, but the tournament has been postponed until 2021 because of the virus outbreak, while friendlies against Denmark and Italy were cancelled last month.
An FA Spokesperson: "The financial implications of the coronavirus are not yet known however, as a not-for-profit organisation, we want to ensure that we take the appropriate course of action to support the wider organisation and our employees.
“We will make a further announcement on our next steps in due course."
The row over how football deals with the financial impacts of the shutdown is raging on this weekend, with Liverpool the latest top flight club to come under fire for deciding to furlough some non-playing staff.
Following criticism from health secretary Matt Hancock, who called for footballers to “play their part” and take a pay-cut, the Premier League announced on Friday that it would consult players over a 30 per cent wage deferral.
On Saturday, however, the PFA hit back at that proposal, warning it could see the government miss out on £200million in tax contributions, money that is vital to funding public services such as the NHS.
The PFA said: “The players are mindful that as PAYE employees, the combined tax on their salaries is a significant contribution to funding essential public services - which are especially critical at this time.
“Taking a 30% salary deduction will cost the Exchequer substantial sums. This would be detrimental to our NHS and other government-funded services.
“The proposed 30% salary deduction over a 12-month period equates to over £500m in wage reductions and a loss in tax contributions of over £200m to the government.
“What effect does this loss of earning to the government mean for the NHS? Was this considered in the Premier League proposal and did the Health Secretary, Matt Hancock factor this in when asking players to take a salary cut?”
