UPDATE 2-Deutsche Bank top management gets bonuses for first time in four years

Deutsche Bank's management board members were handed their first bonuses in four years, while CEO Christian Sewing was paid 7 million euros for last year, according to the bank's annual report on Friday.

Deutsche's disclosures on its bosses' pay come as the bank holds talks with rival Commerzbank about a proposed merger, which unions have said could result in big job cuts. Sewing, who took on the role last April, led the bank to its first profit in four years and is heading the merger talks with Commerzbank. Sewing had earned 2.9 million euros for 2017 before he was CEO. Sewing's 2018 pay was higher than the CEOs of several other major European investment banks, including HSBC's CEO John Flint and Barclays boss Jes Staley.

But Sewing received less than Credit Suisse CEO Tidjane Thiam, who got 12.65 million Swiss francs ($12.74 million), making him among the top earners in the European banking sector. Deutsche's management board received total pay, including bonuses, of 55.7 million euros ($63.39 million) in 2018, up from 29.8 million euros a year earlier, the annual report said.

Deutsche's overall bonus pool for 2018 was 1.9 billion euros, down 14 percent from 2.3 billion euros a year earlier. The decline is partly due to a reduction in headcount, the bank said. Litigation costs are also expected to be "significantly higher" in 2019 than in 2018, the bank also said in the report.

($1 = 0.8787 euros) (Reporting by Tom Sims Editing by Riham Alkousaa and Jane Merriman)