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Red Star slash player wages amid coronavirus outbreak

FILE PHOTO: Europa League - Red Star Belgrade vs Arsenal

BELGRADE (Reuters) - Serbian champions and 1991 European Cup winners Red Star Belgrade have halved their players' wages for three months amid the coronavirus pandemic, the club's general director Zvezdan Terzic said on Saturday.

"The players have submitted a written response to the club that they accept having their wages reduced by 50 percent in the next three months," Terzic said in a statement circulated to Serbian media.

"We will address the matter again in July when the full financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic becomes clearer.

"The team has demonstrated a high degree of responsibility and awareness of the situation, showing that we have selected characters and not just good players."

Red Star, the winners of a record 30 league titles, top Serbia's first division on 69 points from 26 games, 11 more than bitter city foes Partizan.

This term they also reached the Champions League group stages for the second time in a row and finished bottom of their pool behind Bayern Munich, Tottenham Hotspur and Olympiacos Piraeus.

(Writing by Zoran Milosavljevic; Editing by Christian Radnedge)