Sheffield Wednesday’s financial troubles show no sign of easing after it was confirmed that several first-team players remain unpaid, with less than two weeks until the club’s next payroll deadline.
June 17 marked the final date for the club and its owner, Dejphon Chansiri, to respond to multiple English Football League (EFL) charges over wage payment failures from March and May 2025. While it’s unlikely that any official confirmation of the club’s response will be made public, the continued failure to settle outstanding wages does little to ease growing concerns among supporters and players alike.
Charges Aimed At Owls
The charges allege that both the club and Chansiri breached EFL regulations by failing to meet contractual wage obligations. In a statement issued earlier this month, the EFL confirmed the scope of the charges:
“Sheffield Wednesday Football Club has been charged with multiple breaches of EFL Regulations relating to payment obligations… The owner… has also been charged with causing the Club to be in breach… despite his commitment to fund the cash requirements of the Club.”
With those 14 days now elapsed, the Owls’ situation remains precarious. The risk is growing that players still awaiting payment could invoke Article 14bis of FIFA’s Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players. This clause allows players to serve a 15-day notice if unpaid, paving the way for contract termination and a free transfer. With just 11 days remaining until the next scheduled payday, time is rapidly running out.
Adding to the pressure, Wednesday remain under a transfer embargo due to these financial issues. Until all outstanding payments are made, the embargo will not be lifted, preventing the club from making much-needed additions ahead of the new campaign.
The situation has plunged the club into fresh uncertainty just weeks before the start of pre-season preparations. While the full range of disciplinary measures available to the EFL includes everything from fines to points deductions—or in extreme cases, expulsion—the governing body has yet to reveal how they will proceed.
In recent months, fans have grown increasingly vocal in their criticism of Chansiri’s ownership. Despite intermittent assurances of funding and stability, persistent wage delays, off-field instability, and the current EFL charges paint a troubling picture of governance at Hillsborough.
Writer’s View
This is no longer just a case of missed payments—it’s a crisis threatening to unravel Sheffield Wednesday’s entire season before it begins. If key players opt to leave using FIFA regulations, Wednesday could be stripped of both experience and quality overnight. The transfer embargo only compounds the problem, preventing reinforcements while the current squad faces disintegration.
The ownership’s failure to manage payroll, especially in light of previous financial red flags, is deeply worrying. With the disciplinary process now underway and the threat of free transfers looming, Chansiri must act fast—or risk irreversible damage to a club already on the edge.
