Aston Villa players and staff agree 25% wage deferral for the next four months

Aston Villa's first-team players, coaches and senior management have agreed 25 per cent wage deferrals for the next four months to assist the club financially during the coronavirus pandemic.

The club release an official statement written by CEO Christian Purslow.

"In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic the thoughts of everyone at Aston Villa are with those families suffering loss and the incredible NHS staff who are risking their own safety to help so many others.

The club remains fully committed to serving our local communities through the Aston Villa Foundation and we want to help and ensure our people and our resources can be put to use while we are not playing football.

Consequently we have made all our facilities available to the multi agencies working so hard to protect people during this time of national emergency.

I am pleased to announce today measures to protect the livelihoods of our precious staff and their families.

First-team players, first-team coaches and senior management have all agreed to defer 25 per cent of their salaries for four months to assist the club during this period of uncertainty with a further review taking place at the end of this period.

During the two seasons since Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens rescued Aston Villa they have supported and funded the rebuilding of the Club with a huge level of personal financial investment.

They are continuing to provide substantial funding which, combined with these significant salary deferrals, enables Aston Villa to confirm that all non-football staff - full and part time - will be retained and paid in full throughout the lockdown. There will be no furloughing of staff.

Our players and staff feel great solidarity with the many clubs in the football pyramid who have financial problems and we believe it is right and proper that the Premier League as a whole takes action on its finances collectively to enable it to be able to continue to provide vital funding throughout the game in England.

Stay Home, Protect The NHS, Save Lives."