PFA calls for 'urgent meeting' to discuss impact of coronavirus on finances of clubs, players

As the coronavirus continues to wreak havoc around the world, the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) has called for an 'urgent meeting' with the Premier League and the English Football League (EFL) to discuss its impact on clubs and players' finances.

"As with other industries, the current COVID-19 crisis is having a severe impact on the finances of the game. Several clubs have already approached players with a view to imposing pay deferrals," PFA said in a statement.

"In order to deal with this situation, we have called for an urgent meeting with both the Premier League and the EFL to discuss how we might proceed going forward," the statement added.

PFA further stated that they are in regular discussions at the international level.

"Separately, we have worked closely with the Premier League, EFL and WSL, agreeing on protocols in terms of training regimes and timetables for suspension of group training," the statement read.

"We are also in regular discussions at international level regarding areas relating to contractual stability and the eventual resumption of the leagues. In these difficult times, there is a strong public consensus for football to be seen as acting in solidarity with other workers and industries affected by the crisis," it added.