Coronavirus: Liverpool donates £40,000 to foodbanks scheme

Liverpool's first-team squad pledged its support to charity initiative Fans Supporting Foodbanks amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Anfield, the home of Liverpool

Liverpool has donated £40,000 to Fans Supporting Foodbanks (FSF) to help keep the charity ticking over during the Premier League hiatus.

Jurgen Klopp's men are 25 points clear at the top and need just two wins to secure their first Premier League title, but no more fixtures will be played until at least early April due to the coronavirus pandemic.

As a result of the prolonged break, no collections for FSF – a charity set up to support the city's most vulnerable -– will take place at Anfield for the foreseeable future.

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However, Liverpool announced on Saturday its players, along with the LFC Foundation, Red Neighbours and club staff, will step in by making a large donation to North Liverpool Foodbank.

Twenty-five per-cent of the charity's donations come from matchday collections and Liverpool will donate £10,000 per game for its four remaining home matches.

New foodbank collection points have also been set up at the club's stores around the city and an online fund-raising page set up.

"We hope the collective backing of the club’s first-team players, LFC Foundation and Red Neighbours programmes, and staff, can help to alleviate concerns around the absence of the usual matchday collections," said LFC Foundation director Matt Parish.

"Our fans have consistently gone above and beyond in their backing for Fans Supporting Foodbanks in recent years and we would encourage anyone who is able to make a donation at any of our collection points or via the online fundraiser."

Liverpool's donation follows on from an open letter penned by Klopp to the club's supporters on Thursday, in which the former Borussia Dortmund coach told fans: "First and foremost, all of us have to do whatever we can to protect one another. In society I mean.

"This should be the case all the time in life, but in this moment I think it matters more than ever.

"I've said before that football always seems the most important of the least important things. Today, football and football matches really aren't important at all.

"If it's a choice between football and the good of the wider society, it's no contest. Really, it isn't.

"The message from the team to our supporters is only about your well-being. Put your health first. Don't take any risk. Think about the vulnerable in our society and act where possible with compassion for them."