Sheffield Wednesday's former owner, the Thai tuna tycoon Dejphon Chansiri, has been prohibited from any involvement in English football for three years. The ban comes as the historic club faces a deepening crisis, including a fresh points deduction that leaves them staring at relegation from the Championship.
Sanctions and Points Deductions Mount
The English Football League (EFL) confirmed the dual punishments on Monday 1st December 2025. Sheffield Wednesday FC has been deducted a further six points with immediate effect for multiple breaches of regulations concerning payment obligations. This follows an automatic 12-point penalty incurred when Chansiri placed the club into administration in October.
Concurrently, Chansiri himself has been banned from acting as an owner or director of any EFL club for the next three years. The sanctions were ratified by an independent disciplinary commission after an agreement was reached between the parties.
A Club in Peril
The cumulative effect of the deductions is catastrophic for the club's Championship status. Wednesday are now stranded on -10 points, a staggering 23 points behind Norwich City and 27 points from safety. The task of avoiding relegation to League One this season appears almost impossible.
The latest penalty relates specifically to delays and failures in paying players, staff, and other creditors earlier this year. This period of financial mismanagement under Chansiri's stewardship also saw the temporary closure of the Hillsborough North Stand and the departure of manager Danny Rohl.
Search for a New Owner
With the club in administration and Chansiri now banned, the focus turns to finding a buyer to secure Sheffield Wednesday's future. Sports Direct founder and former Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley is among several parties linked with a takeover.
The EFL had previously urged Chansiri to either sell the club or find the necessary funding to meet its financial obligations, amid serious doubts over whether Wednesday could even begin the current season in August.
The three-year ban on Chansiri marks a dramatic fall from grace for the businessman, whose tenure has culminated in one of England's most famous clubs facing an existential threat and almost certain relegation.
