Shaun Maloney has suffered a hammer blow to his hopes of keeping new club Wigan Athletic up this season.
The Latics have been slapped with a three point deduction by the EFL just two months after the former Hibs boss took up the post at the DW Stadium. Maloney was tasked with keeping Wigan afloat in the English Championship with the club sitting bottom of the table and without a win in their last five games.
But an increasingly-worrying situation off the park has resulted in the club confirming they would have to delay their wage payments to players and staff due to “liquidity issues”. Wigan had previously been sanctioned for 'failing to adhere to the terms of the Standard Contracts that were in force' in June, July and October last year.
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But now the club have confirmed they will lose three points from their tally after it was reported by the Athletic that Maloney had flown to Bahrain to discuss the issue with the club's owners.
A club statement read: "The EFL has informed Wigan Athletic that it has, with immediate effect, been deducted three points from the 2022/23 Championship table after the Club has failed to pay player salaries in March 2023.
"The Club had previously been charged 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.
"This latest infringement by the Club to meet its obligations means the terms of the Agreed Decision the Club entered into with the EFL in January 2023 has been breached and the application of the suspended sporting sanction has been automatically triggered.
"In a further breach of the Agreed Decision, the Club’s owner has failed to deposit an amount equal to 125% of its forecast monthly wage bill in a designated Club account. This had been a key term of the Agreed Decision to help prevent the Club breaching EFL Regulations again, should there be future delays in the processing of overseas payments.
"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.
"The Club notes the EFL statement and charge and will issue a further update on the current wage situation in due course."
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