Wigan deducted 3 points after failing to pay players and staff for fourth time with owner to be charged with misconduct

WIGAN have been deducted three points after failing to pay their players and staff for a fourth time.

The Championship club are in a relegation battle but also face ongoing issues off the pitch with their finances.

The EFL have confirmed that the Latics have now been hit with a penalty over the repeated non-payment of wages.

The three point deduction means Wigan are now bottom of the Championship with 31 points, eight points away from safety.

The EFL also revealed that Wigan’s owner will be charged with misconduct.

An EFL statement said: “Wigan Athletic has, with immediate effect, been deducted three points from the 2022/23 Championship table after the Club failed to pay player salaries again in March 2023.

“The Club had previously been  and sanctioned for failing to adhere to the terms of the Standard Contracts that were in force between the Club and its Players in the months of June 2022, July 2022 and October 2022.

“Separately, new charges have now been issued to the Club following this latest instance of non-payment of player wages and for not complying with the Agreed Decision.

“The Club’s owner will also be charged with misconduct, with the matter to be referred to an Independent Disciplinary Commission.”

Wigan were taken over in 2021 by Phoenix 2021 Limited, which is led by Bahraini businessman Abdulrahman Al-Jasmi.

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The announcement is the latest blow for Wigan who have been attempting to scrape points together as the season approaches its final weeks.

Shaun Maloney – their third manager of the season after Kolo Toure’s sacking – has only lost three of his 10 games in charge to stop the Latics getting cut adrift.

But there has also only been a single win from that 10 meaning the club remains in the bottom three with only eight games left to save themselves.