Fienga thanks Roma players and coach after they agree to forgo four months’ salary this season

The club’s players, first team coach Paulo Fonseca, and his staff, have volunteered to forgo four months’ salary this season to help the club navigate the economic crisis that has engulfed the world of football since the Coronavirus outbreak.

The players, coach and his coaching staff have also agreed to collectively pay the difference to ensure that all Roma employees who were placed on the government’s social safety net scheme will still receive their regular net salary.

"We always talk about unity at Roma and in volunteering to cut their salaries for the rest of the season, the players, the coach, and his staff, have all proved that we really are in this together,” said Fienga.

“[Club captain] Edin Dzeko, all the players and Paulo have demonstrated they understand what this club stands for and we also thank them all for their superb gesture towards the employees at this club.”

Roma last played a competitive match on March 1, with all games across Europe being shut down shortly after, as governments attempted to limit the spread of the Covid-19 virus, which has now claimed over 160,000 lives globally, with over 1.5 million more people still infected.

No country in Europe has been harder hit by the Coronavirus than Italy, with over 23,000 people dead, and with the postponement of Serie A due to enter a third month, Roma’s players and coach approached the club’s hierarchy to volunteer to forgo their salary during this season for the months of March, April, May and June.

If the current season resumes and is completed, the club and the players, coach and his staff have agreed an incentive plan to be paid subject to the achievement of certain sporting objectives.

In the coming weeks, individual agreements with the players, coach and the coach’s staff will be finalised, as required by current regulations.

A letter to CEO Guido Fienga from the players stated: “We are writing to express our support to the company for all that it is doing in this period to overcome the difficulties created by the Covid-19 emergency.

“We players are ready to start playing as soon as possible, giving the maximum to achieve our goals, but we also realise that all this will not be enough to face the economic consequences of the current emergency. With the hope of doing something that will help the company to better restart the Roma project that we all share, we offer this financial proposal.

“We also confirm all of our support for the initiatives of AS Roma and Roma Cares to help those who find themselves in difficulty because of the virus. Forza Roma!”

Club management will also give up a percentage of their salary in this period to help the company.