Sheffield Wednesday is one of the most legendary clubs in England. Now, a very bleak scenario is looming.
The summer break was more than two months long, and the new season is supposed to start with the match against Leicester City on August 10th. Yet, the posters at the legendary stadium already suggest that this will hardly be possible. Sheffield Wednesday is on the verge of ruin in England.
“Chansiri out” is the simple message against the backdrop of a collage of cult heroes and cup winners at the arena. The reference is to owner Dejphon Chansiri. The 57-year-old businessman, whose family owns the world’s largest tuna canning company, has plunged the second-division club into a huge mess. Comparable cases are rare given the scale.
Dejphon Chansiri is responsible for the chaos in Sheffield.
The club, founded in 1867, was one of the best in England in the early 1990s and one of the oldest in the motherland of football. It could disappear from professional football soon, 25 years after its last participation in the Premier League.
Players and staff have repeatedly not been paid their salaries or have been paid significantly late. As a result, the English Football League (EFL) has imposed a transfer ban until 2027. In addition, most contracts of players and staff expired on June 30th.
Sheffield Wednesday is facing nothing
According to The Athletic, the squad currently comprises just 16 players – just one week before the first league game! Given the transfer ban, it seems almost impossible to assemble a competitive team.
In addition, there is chaos in the coach position. German manager Danny Röhl was absent at the start of the pre-season preparation.
The 36-year-old, formerly assistant to national coach Hansi Flick, had been working for Sheffield since October 2023 and led the traditional club to stay in the league in his first season. Most recently, the financially strapped club finished twelfth in the EFL Championship. Now Röhl left shortly before the start of the season.
Danny Röhl left Sheffield Wednesday shortly before the start of the season.
The club presented Henrik Pedersen as the new coach only on Thursday. He was previously Röhl’s assistant. However, neither friendlies nor a pre-season tour were announced. How could they, without a proper team?
Because players and staff of the club were not paid on time, Maheta Molango, chairman of the PFA players’ union, described the conditions as “shocking” and “unacceptable.” Several player contracts have now been terminated.
City closes the North Stand of Hillsborough Stadium
But that’s not all: Last week, the Sheffield City Council closed the North Stand of the legendary Hillsborough Stadium. That Hillsborough, where the biggest stadium disaster in European football history took place 36 years ago.
Now, the North Stand of the dilapidated stadium may only be reopened to fans after renovations. The fans of the traditional club long for a new beginning without Chansiri. But the Thai is said to only want to sell for a fabulous offer of 100 million pounds. Most recently, he rejected two offers.
Among other things, according to a statement by Chansiri, businessman Adam Shaw, together with American real estate investor John Flanagan, is said to have offered 40 million pounds. That was not enough for the owner.
The legendary Hillsborough Stadium is dilapidated.
In 2015, he bought the club for 37.5 million pounds and has since invested around 150 million pounds. Among other things, he also bought the stadium, which he now apparently let fall apart.
What’s next for Sheffield?
By the way, a success story was never written under his leadership. From 2021 to 2023, “The Owls” played in the 3rd division, but managed to jump up again.
But now it went down very far within a few months. It takes a miracle. But there is hardly any hope left.
In any case, the fans continue to try to free themselves from the grip of the hated investor. On August 10th, massive expressions of displeasure would be expected – if Sheffield Wednesday can compete at all.