Wigan has been handed out another four-point penalty by the EFL for missing the wage deadline. Due to two late payments in March and May, the Latics received the original deduction and a further four points suspension last week. A designated account was supposed to receive monies equivalent to 125 percent of the club’s anticipated monthly pay bill by Wednesday, but that hasn’t happened. The extra punishment has thus been applied. After objecting to the decision, Wigan made a statement that left the door open for legal action.
“With this most recent decision, we are really dissatisfied. The football team has been quite open with the EFL, who is well aware of the eight-figure sum needed to fund the balance of this season and the entirety of the following one,” Wigan said in a statement after they were handed out a points deduction by the EFL. “The club will now keep all of its options open, including taking legal action in retaliation, and will not comment more at this time.”
The EFL had previously declared that talks with Wigan, who placed last in the Sky Bet Championship this year, had been continuing on since Wednesday without coming to a conclusion. Shortly before the most recent points deduction was issued, Latics chair Abdulrahman Al-Jasmi published a long statement on the club’s website, explaining the issues with making payroll on time.
“I’d like to report that an amount in the eight figures is now being processed and will soon be deposited into the club account. Additionally, this investment will guarantee financial security for the months of June and 2023–2024,” he wrote. “The repeated late wage payments must be addressed. As I’ve said before, I know this is wholly inappropriate. The ownership group will have spent over £30m on Wigan Athletic since Phoenix 2021 bought the team in 2021. Due to cash flow problems brought on by the rising wage bill, we were unable to abide by the January agreed-upon decision with the EFL. To guarantee that salaries were paid, however, every effort was made. With international transactions, delays are normal; nevertheless, this is not an excuse for late payments, and it never will be.”
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