Sheffield Wednesday is looking at a full-blown player mutiny. This follows the club missing payroll for senior players for the third time in four months. The continuing fiscal uncertainty has left the team seething. Consequently, a variety of players are testing the waters legally and have filed notices of intention to rescind their deals. The U21 players were the only ones to receive their June salaries on time. This is a good opportunity to showcase the unequal treatment faced by the squad.
Owner Dejphon Chansiri had already come under fire earlier last month for missing payroll. Players are calling foul on how things have gone so far. Overall, more than half are in open revolt against the club and considering jumping ship as free agents due to the current wage scandals. According to FIFA regulations, players can break their contracts if they go two months without getting paid on the due date. Here’s how this 2017 rule has injected urgency into the players’ decision-making.
Amid this turmoil, Danny Rohl, the head coach of Sheffield Wednesday, is set to hold clear-the-air talks with the players on Monday. Rohl has more than proven he’s in touch with the frustrations his team has expressed, and he wants to get right to the beating heart of their concerns. Sheffield Wednesday just made headlines by sending their “deepest regrets” to players and staff. In particular, they understood how back and late payments have worsened morale with performance.
Implications of Unpaid Wages
The harm caused by the repeated wage delays is severe. So the club is under pressure to move fast. With just 15 days left to pay their debts and get back ownership of players’ contracts, it’s time to get real. If they fail to tackle these areas, they will risk losing major talent. That’s because those same players are the ones that could choose to take advantage of their rights under FIFA regulations.
Many more players are known to be planning to opt out of contract extensions. Discontent with unpaid wages has added an urgency to the team’s frustration. This perfect storm has the potential to create a talent exodus that would devastate the team’s hopes for the next season.
Their season opener against Leicester City looms large on August 10. As the September 30th deadline looms, it is imperative that these disagreements be settled expeditiously. Rohl’s starting negotiations with the players will be determining. These discussions will determine whether the Red Sox can retain any of their talent or continue on a path toward further spoliation.
Looking Ahead
Though this is all easier said than done, Sheffield Wednesday are reportedly hoping to clear debts owed in the next two weeks. The club’s new management knows that defeating player trust will make a successful season impossible. For Rohl, the priority is now on guiding Sheffield Wednesday through this difficult chapter. Most recently he was rumored to be on the cusp of being named coach at Southampton, Leicester City, and Middlesbrough.
As the team returns to their training base on Middlewood Road, all eyes will be on Rohl’s leadership. His willingness and capability to rebuild relationships with the players will likely be essential. The next round of negotiations will determine what’s next for the team in the short term. They control the fate of its long-term solvency.
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