LIONEL MESSI has confirmed a 70% pay cut for Barcelona players during the coronavirus pandemic.

Additional funds will be directed to club staff throughout the crisis with a statement made on Monday following the club's enacting of the pay cut.

Negotiations were reported as ongoing between the squad and board over the exact nature of the reduction, with a breakthrough now made.

As well as taking a 70% cut pay cut, stars will make contributions to ensure ordinary staff receive their salary in full during the suspension of football.

First-team players including Messi and Luis Suarez released the statement on their social media accounts on Monday.

It read: "The time has come to announce that, aside from the reduction of 70 per cent of our salary during the state of emergency, we will also make contributions so that the club's employees can collect 100 percent of their salaries while this situation lasts.

"Our desire has always been to take a pay cut, because we understand perfectly that this is an exceptional situation."

The Barcelona board have confirmed that joining in the temporary reduction are directors and the basketball side.