Liverpool lay off some non-playing staff

LONDON: Liverpool on Saturday became the latest Premier League club to put some of their non-playing staff on furlough during the coronavirus shutdown.

The Premier League said on Friday that the 2019/20 season would only return when it was “safe and appropriate to do so”. Newcastle, Tottenham, Bournemouth and Norwich have also said they would furlough non-playing staff.

A statement from the Premier League leaders said staff would be paid 100 percent of their salaries to ensure nobody was financially disadvantaged.

The Liverpool statement added: “Even prior to the decision on staff furloughing, there was a collective commitment at senior levels of the club -- on and off the pitch -- with everyone working towards a solution that secures jobs for employees of the club during this unprecedented crisis.

“There is ongoing active engagement about the topic of salary deductions during the period matches are not being played to schedule. These discussions are complex and as a result the process is ongoing.”

Liverpool are 25 points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League, on the verge of winning their first top-flight title since 1990.