The European Football Club Association has informed its teams that they face an "existential threat", after activity was interrupted by the outbreak of the new Corona epidemic (Covid-19).
Reuters reported that the association sent a letter to its more than two hundred members, in light of the interruption of local football competitions across the continent for a period that may take months due to the Corona virus.
"We are responsible for the welfare and sustainability of the clubs we run and we are currently facing a real existential threat," association president Andrea Anelli - who also heads Italian club Juventus - said in the letter.
"Because of the suspension of football activity, the revenues we depend on to pay the players salaries, technical equipment and operating costs have stopped," added Anelli, who is subject to self-isolation in Turin after three Juventus players were infected with the Coruna virus.
He considered that "finding solutions to these problems will be one of the greatest challenges the game and the football industry have ever faced."
The letter said that the current crisis launched discussions to ease the rules of fair financial play that were set in 2011, in order to accompany the club's expenses and link them to incomes and prevent the infusion of money from the owners of the teams.
European club officials are concerned about the financial consequences of the delay in the resumption of matches, and a number of teams have started negotiations with their players in order to reduce their salaries in order to alleviate the burdens of the crisis and maintain financial balances.