Coronavirus: Cardiff and Swansea City agree partial wage deferrals
- Published
Cardiff are ninth in the Championship with Swansea two places and one point behind them
Welsh Championship sides Cardiff and Swansea City have agreed partial wage deferrals with their players.
Swansea's first team squad have agreed to take "a 20% conditional wage deferral for the next three months".
Chairman Trevor Birch, sporting director Leon Britton and manager Steve Cooper had already agreed deferrals.
The Bluebirds' deferral with players is also for three months while manager Neil Harris and chief executive Ken Choo had already accepted wage cuts.
The moves come with football in the UK suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Swansea's Birch also warned: "There are likely to be more testing times ahead for the club, and football in general, and these deferrals will only assist cashflow in the short term."
Cardiff say the voluntary agreement will help "maintain financial stability" during the "unprecedented time of global economic concern" and was reached with the "greatest of will".
The Bluebirds says they took the step to support the club and protect the livelihood of its non-playing personnel.
The club also put a proportion of non-playing staff on the Government's furlough scheme.
Announcing the wage deferral, Choo said: "I'm pleased that our players have come together with us to make this significant financial gesture in support of our club and owner.
"We have a tightly-knit community within the club between our non-playing staff and players; this personal connection compelled our players to step forward and do what they have done, and I'd like to say how proud of them I am for doing this.
"We look forward to returning to the normality of sport in the not-to-distant future but, until then, will continue to do all we can to protect the infrastructure of our club and community."
The Swans' arrangement covers their first team, coaching staff, club officials and senior office staff.
The wage deferrals are conditional that the Swans repay the amount sacrificed over a 12-month period once football resumes in front of crowds again.
The club say they worked with the PFA and the players on finalising the deferrals.
"I would like to thank the players and staff for their cooperation and understanding during these difficult times,'' said Birch.
"Swansea is a close-knit, family club, and there was an overwhelming desire from everyone to help protect the future of the football club for the supporters, the jobs of dedicated staff working within club, and the community that is so important to us all.
"The ever-evolving Coronavirus crisis continues to present many personal and business challenges, but we are all determined to do the best for Swansea City and its long-term future."
"The squad was fully behind the decision," captain Matt Grimes added in a Swansea website statement.
"It was about making the right decision, the best decision, for Swansea City and the supporters, the community and those who work within the football club.
"We are all in this together, especially during these difficult times, and it is vital we emerge from this crisis with the heart of the football club beating strong.''
Swansea chairman Birch added that clubs now need some clarity on issues that will affect finishing this campaign.
The Eredivisie - the top tier of football in the Netherlands - has been abandoned for the season with no title winners and no teams relegated.
"There are a number of clearly important issues which still need to be decided on, not least of which is the finishing of this season together with the fate of players whose contracts expire on 30 June," he said,
"Together with our season-long loan players, this affects 12 first-team squad members.
"We will closely assess the situation over the next few weeks as the picture hopefully becomes clearer."