Goalkeeper Diego Lopez has reached an agreement with Espanyol. — AFP/VNA Photo

 MADRID — La Liga strugglers Espanyol announced on Monday the club had reached an agreement with a number of players to extend their expiring contracts beyond June 30, with the season on hold due to the coronavirus crisis.

First-team players and staff members will also take a 19 per cent pay cut if the 2019-20 season does not restart, the league's bottom club said in a statement.

The reduction will drop to four percent of their annual salary if the campaign does resume.

Nine players including goalkeeper Diego Lopez and Argentine striker Jonathan Calleri, whose deals were to run out at the end of June "have accepted to extend their contract until the actual end of the season", the club added.

The Spanish league has been suspended since March 12. La Liga president Javier Tebas has estimated a cancellation of the season would cost clubs around a billion euros ($1.08 billion).

Spain's health minister said Sunday it would be "imprudent" to promise the season would restart before the summer.

On March 27, the Barcelona-based side announced a plan to apply temporary pay cuts as a result of the economic impact of the pandemic. - AFP