EDDIE Howe insisted “nothing is immune” from the financial impact of the coronavirus outbreak and believes football is “probably going to have to recalculate”.

The Cherries boss this week became the first Premier League manager to voluntarily take a wage cut during the global pandemic, which has seen the game grind to a halt across Europe’s major divisions.

Assistant Jason Tindall, chief executive Neill Blake and technical director Richard Hughes also volunteered to have their wages decreased amid the COVID-19 crisis.

Cherries also this week placed “a number” of staff on furlough leave, meaning 80 per cent of their wages up to £2,500 per month will be claimed through the government’s coronavirus job retention scheme.

Those impacted will not be left out of pocket however, with the club topping up their wages to ensure they receive full pay.

Howe has previously seen Cherries in extreme financial hardship as both a youth-team player and manager.

The 42-year-old said he did not want to see any club have to suffer in light of the COVID-19 crisis but admitted there would be “challenges along the way”.

He told the Daily Echo: “We’ve shown it before, we would do everything we can to protect the club we are working for.

“I think this whole time has brought everything like that back into focus.

“Football is an amazing sport. It touches people all around the world. You can see the importance of football.

“You don’t want to see any club suffer. You don’t want to see any clubs in financial trouble – you don’t want to see jobs under threat.

“It’s the last thing anyone wants to see but at this time, it has to happen. Financially the world is taking a huge hit because of this.

“I am sure everything will get back to normal, everything will recover but there will be a lot of challenges along the way.

“Football I am sure will face those, like every other business will. I just hope things aren’t as bad as what it appears.

“Nothing is immune from this situation that we’ve found ourselves in. I’d say 90 per cent of businesses will be affected.

“Football is one of those along with any other one that is probably going to have to recalculate. There may be some adjustment over a number of years because of this.”

Some of the world’s biggest clubs have taken measures to protect themselves financially amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Lionel Messi this week announced Barcelona’s players would take a 70 per cent pay cut, while Juventus’ playing squad and manager Maurizio Sarri have agreed to have their pay frozen.

“I think naturally there will be a lot of talk over the coming weeks on this from every club,” said Howe.

“I think the fact that Barcelona and other clubs have been mentioned shows the scale of it because they are potentially the biggest clubs in the world.

“If the TV companies aren’t getting what they are paying for and clubs don’t get the money they have budgeted for, there will be things that will take a hit.

“There is going to be a recalculation of everything, I think. That can only happen when we come out of the situation we are in, when we actually know what it looks like.

“Until that time, it’s very difficult to even predict how bad it will be.”