Southampton players, coaches agree to defer salaries

LONDON (Reuters) - Southampton's first-team players and coaching staff have agreed to defer part of their salaries for April, May and June as the shutdown because of the coronavirus pandemic continues.

In a statement on Thursday the Premier League club also said it would not be using the government's job retention scheme.

"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 statement read.

(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Christian Radnedge)