Chinese Super League (CSL) players were under growing pressure Tuesday to take a pay cut in line with the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, as coronavirus hits football hard.

The CSL has some of the best-paid coaches and players in the world with Shanghai SIPG's Brazilian attacking midfielder Oscar reportedly earning nearly $30 million a year.

However, while many CSL players have donated masks and other equipment in the fight against the pandemic, which has caused all football to stop, there is no unified response.

The CSL season was supposed to begin on February 22 but was indefinitely postponed because of the outbreak, which began in China in December before spreading worldwide.&nbsp;

The campaign is unlikely to begin before late May at the earliest even though China says that the number of locally transmitted infections and deaths has dwindled.

State-run Xinhua news agency published a lengthy article debating whether CSL clubs should follow Messi's Barcelona and Ronaldo's Juventus in temporarily cutting salaries by as much as 70 percent.

Bayern Munich's players have also agreed to take a pay cut, as have those at other clubs in the Bundesliga, while a similar argument is raging in the English Premier League.

A video conference involving CSL clubs on Thursday will likely see salary cuts discussed, the Beijing News said.

Other media went further, saying that a salary reduction will definitely be broached in Chinese Football Association (CFA) talks this week.&nbsp;

Xinhua cited online polls of fans showing that the overwhelming majority &nbsp;-- in one instance 90 percent of respondents -- were in favour a pay cut.

But it noted that some fans are against reducing salaries because, unlike in suspended European leagues, CSL teams are already in training for the new season even though it has no start date.

Xinhua quoted one CSL club as being "inclined to cut pay" but is awaiting guidance from the CFA and FIFA.

"All clubs are watching, the problem is that no one wants to be the first," the news agency cited another as saying.

An opinion piece in the Oriental Sports Daily argued that with almost all industries badly affected by coronavirus, it was unfair to single out footballers.

"Many people (in China) are very resentful of Chinese football, saying that these people have taken so much money... and should use their salaries to pay more to scientists and doctors, but this is a misunderstanding," wrote Ge Aiping.

"I haven't seen any news of a Chinese Super League player who proposed a voluntary pay cut.

"(But) money is not easy to earn and if you want to give it out, you really need to struggle with yourself."

Chinese football sprang to prominence in recent years by dishing out world-leading wages to foreign players and coaches, but the CFA has since reined in spending.

Chinese Super League (CSL) players were under growing pressure Tuesday to take a pay cut in line with the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, as coronavirus hits football hard.

Chinese Super League (CSL) players were under growing pressure Tuesday to take a pay cut in line with the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, as coronavirus hits football hard. The CSL has some of the best-paid coaches and players in the world with Shanghai SIPG's Brazilian attacking midfielder Oscar reportedly earning nearly $30 million a year. However, while many CSL players have donated masks and other equipment in the fight against the pandemic, which has caused all football to stop, there is no unified response. The CSL season was supposed to begin on February 22 but was indefinitely postponed because of the outbreak, which began in China in December before spreading worldwide. The campaign is unlikely to begin before late May at the earliest even though China says that the number of locally transmitted infections and deaths has dwindled. State-run Xinhua news agency published a lengthy article debating whether CSL clubs should follow Messi's Barcelona and Ronaldo's Juventus in temporarily cutting salaries by as much as 70 percent. Bayern Munich's players have also agreed to take a pay cut, as have those at other clubs in the Bundesliga, while a similar argument is raging in the English Premier League. A video conference involving CSL clubs on Thursday will likely see salary cuts discussed, the Beijing News said. Other media went further, saying that a salary reduction will definitely be broached in Chinese Football Association (CFA) talks this week. Xinhua cited online polls of fans showing that the overwhelming majority -- in one instance 90 percent of respondents -- were in favour a pay cut. But it noted that some fans are against reducing salaries because, unlike in suspended European leagues, CSL teams are already in training for the new season even though it has no start date. Xinhua quoted one CSL club as being "inclined to cut pay" but is awaiting guidance from the CFA and FIFA. "All clubs are watching, the problem is that no one wants to be the first," the news agency cited another as saying. An opinion piece in the Oriental Sports Daily argued that with almost all industries badly affected by coronavirus, it was unfair to single out footballers. "Many people (in China) are very resentful of Chinese football, saying that these people have taken so much money... and should use their salaries to pay more to scientists and doctors, but this is a misunderstanding," wrote Ge Aiping. "I haven't seen any news of a Chinese Super League player who proposed a voluntary pay cut. "(But) money is not easy to earn and if you want to give it out, you really need to struggle with yourself." Chinese football sprang to prominence in recent years by dishing out world-leading wages to foreign players and coaches, but the CFA has since reined in spending.

Chinese football agonises over wage cuts in face of coronavirus

When Carlos Tevez emerged in airport arrivals in Shanghai he had a bunch of flowers thrust into his hands and his signing was heralded as a coup for Chinese football.

A blue Shanghai Shenhua scarf was thrown around his neck and hundreds of fans mobbed the Argentine forward, who had just sealed a transfer deal making him at that moment the best-paid footballer on the planet.

But just eight months later the 33-year-old has become a symbol of Chinese clubs&#39; largesse that the Beijing government hopes will never be repeated.

Chinese fans and media have an unflattering nickname for Tevez, &quot;Very Homesick Boy&quot;, a play on how his name is pronounced in Chinese and a nod to problems he has had throughout his career settling anywhere.

Tevez, who reportedly pockets about $850,000 a week, has never stuck around for long at any club during a career that started at Boca Juniors in Argentina and took him to Brazil, England, Italy and back to Boca, before his surprise move to China in January.&nbsp;

Nobody expected him to stay long term in Shanghai.

But even his knockers are surprised at how quickly his Chinese adventure has unraveled and how poorly he has done on the pitch during a season dogged by injury and indifferent form.&nbsp;

New Shenhua coach Wu Jingui last week accused Tevez of being too overweight to play, then two days later said he had shown a better attitude and was doing extra training of his own will.

&quot;With his current attitude we will see a different Tevez,&quot; Wu said.

When Tevez was brought on by Wu for the second half of Saturday&#39;s derby at Shanghai SIPG the Argentine was met with a muted reception from the travelling Shenhua fans, though a few booed.

Shenhua were soon 3-0 down and although Tevez scored his third Chinese Super League (CSL) goal, they were hammered 6-1.

Exit looming

Given his travails, fans had been fully expecting Tevez to leave when the season ends in November.

Now it would surprise nobody if Shenhua -- struggling in the bottom quarter of the league -- decided to cut their losses and let him go home before that.

Tevez, a former Argentina international whose past clubs include Manchester United, Manchester City and Juventus, has made few public comments.

Shenhua, where former Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Gus Poyet quit as manager last week, gave Tevez permission in August to return to Argentina, purportedly for treatment on a leg-muscle injury.

Many did not expect him to come back to China, and few cared if he did.

But while in Argentina he was quoted as saying that a return to Boca would be &quot;very difficult&quot;.

&quot;The Chinese are not stupid,&quot; Tevez reportedly said.

Short honeymoon

The honeymoon period in Shanghai lasted only three months.

In April, Shenhua fans hit out at Tevez when he was spotted at Shanghai Disneyland while his team were playing.

The player countered that he was injured and was entitled to spend time with his family.

A month later Poyet gave an insight into Tevez&#39;s struggles to settle in Shanghai, China&#39;s most cosmopolitan city.

&quot;The language is complicated, but with the food there are people who suffer a little more and that happened to Tevez,&quot; Poyet told Argentina&#39;s La Nacion newspaper.

&quot;At the beginning, he ate almost nothing.

&quot;We had a barbecue with (Shenhua players Fredy) Guarin and (Giovanni) Moreno and we had to remove the Chinese food.&quot;

Shenhua coach Wu is hopeful Tevez will belatedly come good to rescue a team that has lost five CSL matches on the trot and is in crisis.

&quot;His experience and level is not in doubt, it&#39;s not like he needs to prove himself in the CSL,&quot; Wu said.

&quot;In some ways, he had some adaptation problems since he came here, but you can see that his arrival has brought more attention to Shenhua.&quot;

When Carlos Tevez emerged in airport arrivals in Shanghai he had a bunch of flowers thrust into his hands and his signing was heralded as a coup for Chinese football. A blue Shanghai Shenhua scarf was thrown around his neck and hundreds of fans mobbed the Argentine forward, who had just sealed a transfer deal making him at that moment the best-paid footballer on the planet. But just eight months later the 33-year-old has become a symbol of Chinese clubs' largesse that the Beijing government hopes will never be repeated. Chinese fans and media have an unflattering nickname for Tevez, "Very Homesick Boy", a play on how his name is pronounced in Chinese and a nod to problems he has had throughout his career settling anywhere. Tevez, who reportedly pockets about $850,000 a week, has never stuck around for long at any club during a career that started at Boca Juniors in Argentina and took him to Brazil, England, Italy and back to Boca, before his surprise move to China in January. Nobody expected him to stay long term in Shanghai. But even his knockers are surprised at how quickly his Chinese adventure has unraveled and how poorly he has done on the pitch during a season dogged by injury and indifferent form. New Shenhua coach Wu Jingui last week accused Tevez of being too overweight to play, then two days later said he had shown a better attitude and was doing extra training of his own will. "With his current attitude we will see a different Tevez," Wu said. When Tevez was brought on by Wu for the second half of Saturday's derby at Shanghai SIPG the Argentine was met with a muted reception from the travelling Shenhua fans, though a few booed. Shenhua were soon 3-0 down and although Tevez scored his third Chinese Super League (CSL) goal, they were hammered 6-1. Exit looming Given his travails, fans had been fully expecting Tevez to leave when the season ends in November. Now it would surprise nobody if Shenhua -- struggling in the bottom quarter of the league -- decided to cut their losses and let him go home before that. Tevez, a former Argentina international whose past clubs include Manchester United, Manchester City and Juventus, has made few public comments. Shenhua, where former Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Gus Poyet quit as manager last week, gave Tevez permission in August to return to Argentina, purportedly for treatment on a leg-muscle injury. Many did not expect him to come back to China, and few cared if he did. But while in Argentina he was quoted as saying that a return to Boca would be "very difficult". "The Chinese are not stupid," Tevez reportedly said. Short honeymoon The honeymoon period in Shanghai lasted only three months. In April, Shenhua fans hit out at Tevez when he was spotted at Shanghai Disneyland while his team were playing. The player countered that he was injured and was entitled to spend time with his family. A month later Poyet gave an insight into Tevez's struggles to settle in Shanghai, China's most cosmopolitan city. "The language is complicated, but with the food there are people who suffer a little more and that happened to Tevez," Poyet told Argentina's La Nacion newspaper. "At the beginning, he ate almost nothing. "We had a barbecue with (Shenhua players Fredy) Guarin and (Giovanni) Moreno and we had to remove the Chinese food." Shenhua coach Wu is hopeful Tevez will belatedly come good to rescue a team that has lost five CSL matches on the trot and is in crisis. "His experience and level is not in doubt, it's not like he needs to prove himself in the CSL," Wu said. "In some ways, he had some adaptation problems since he came here, but you can see that his arrival has brought more attention to Shenhua."

Is Carlos Tevez too fat to play?

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Chinese football agonises over wage cuts in face of coronavirus

Is Carlos Tevez too fat to play?