Players' union boss says Sheffield Wednesday players could terminate contracts over missed payments

New York Times

02-07-2025

Professional Footballers' Association CEO Maheta Molango has confirmed that the players' union believes many of Sheffield Wednesday's senior players could terminate their contracts following the Championship club's 'serious and/or persistent' failure to pay wages on time.
The four-time English champions were meant to pay June's wages on Monday but club owner Dejphon Chansiri decided to pay only the club's under-21 players, as they have the highest value in the transfer market, and a portion of the salaries owed to non-playing staff.
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The Thai businessman has also paid manager Danny Rohl in full, which means Wednesday would get some financial compensation if a rival club came in for the German.
Almost everyone else, though, appears to be free to leave.
Under FIFA's global rules, players can terminate their contracts if they are paid late for two consecutive months, although they must give 15 days' notice in writing, during which time the clubs can rectify the situation by paying the players what they are owed.
Molango, however, clarified that Wednesday's players are probably able to terminate their contracts now under the terms of the standard players' contract used in English football.
'The standard contract foresees certain situations where you would be able to terminate your contract. This is when there is a serious and/or persistent breach. This is what we will be looking at,' he said.
'Unfortunately, Sheffield Wednesday have a pattern of late payments – I think it's the third time in four months.
'We've been in touch with the players. Our role is not to tell them what they need to do, (it is) to give them the tools and say, 'this is what you could do if those criteria are met'.
'Then it is for them to assess what they want to do. I wouldn't take it for granted that just because certain criteria are met, automatically someone just terminates their contract. There are other considerations.
'It's not an easy situation, as you can imagine, because ultimately, you know, people need to be paid.'
Ironically, Molango was speaking to reporters at the PFA's pre-season camp for out-of-contract players at a spa hotel near Leicester.
'For me, it's a bit shocking because normally this is stuff you see in other countries I have played in, but not in England,' added the Swiss-born Italian, who enjoyed stints with clubs in England, Germany and Spain.
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'So, we really want to be strong on that. This is something that we will not tolerate and we will be very much on top of it. It's not a good situation but we hope that somehow there could be a positive resolution to it.'
The EFL has already given Wednesday a three-window transfer ban for late payments to players, staff and HMRC, and has charged Chansiri for the late salary payments in March and May. The club has appealed against these sanctions.
In the meantime, the South Yorkshire side are up for sale but currently have nowhere to train, as a new pitch at their training ground is not ready to use, and no pre-season fixtures have been arranged.
(Steven Paston/PA Images via Getty Images)