Sheffield Wednesday players launch statement of "concern" - Dejphon Chansiri must act fast | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday's squad have released a statement addressing the club's current situation under Dejphon Chansiri

Sheffield Wednesday's squad have released a statement addressing the club's current situation at the hands of under-fire chairman Dejphon Chansiri.

Chansiri's days of popularity among Wednesdayites have long passed, although the backlash facing the Thai businessman has now reached an all-time high amid a disastrous few months away from the pitch at Hillsborough.

The non-payment of both playing and club staff has been well-documented in recent times, and the Owls' scheduled pre-season friendly against Burnley on Saturday was called off after the players canceled the behind-closed-doors encounter, having not received their wages for July. That marked the fourth time inside just five months that players had not been paid on time, with the situation seeing recent departures for the likes of Djeidi Gassama, Michael Smith and Josh Windass.

Wednesday have also been forced to close Hillsborough's 9,255-capacity North Stand after Sheffield City Council issued a Prohibition Notice, which occurred on the same day as the departure of once-popular boss Danny Rohl - who endured a difficult working relationship with Chansiri but managed to keep the Owls in the Championship against all odds during his first season before guiding the side to a respectable 12th-placed finish last time out.

The Owls' fortunes in 2025/26, under the tutelage of Rohl's former assistant Henrik Pedersen, are a cause for serious concern. Wednesday are also under a three-window transfer embargo owing to the delayed payments of staff.

Sheffield Wednesday players release collective statement amid Dejphon Chansiri crisis

Following the decision to cancel the recent pre-season outing against Burnley, Wednesday's squad have released a collective statement addressing that situation and the broader state of play in the Owls camp at the minute.

The statement notes the "worrying time" for the players as they continue to receive delayed and non-payments of wages by Chanisiri, while calling upon the chairman to address the "lack of clarity" surrounding the current situation.

It reads: "As has been well publicised, players, coaching and club staff groups at the club have all been impacted by delayed and overdue payment of salaries. This has been a worrying time for us as players but, whilst we are often the ones in the spotlight, we are not the only ones involved.

"We stand together in support with all our colleagues employed by the club who have been affected. Players and staff are now feeling real, practical impacts in their professional and personal lives and we are extremely concerned at the lack of clarity regarding what is happening and when this will be resolved.

"The decision taken by the players to withdraw from the planned friendly with Burnley was not taken lightly or without consideration. We are fully aware of the added concern this will have caused supporters but trust there is a real understanding of the difficult position we have been put in.

"We want to reassure fans that there has not been, and will not be, any ‘downing of tools’ by any of us on the training ground, and we are all working as hard as we can and supporting each other, the manager and staff.

"However, we, like you, want our focus to be fully on what happens on the pitch and the new season ahead.

"This is proving to be really challenging and we have made it clear to the club that we want this situation to be addressed as soon as possible so decisions taken like the one not to play at Burnley are avoided in the future. We can then all move forward together as a club.

"The Players."

Dejphon Chansiri needs to sort out Sheffield Wednesday situation ASAP

It's desperately sad for the players, staff and supporters that the situation has reached such a critical point where fixtures are being canceled, though, of course, the Owls fanbase and the wider footballing world can completely understand and appreciate the decision taken by the squad.

Wednesday will initiate their 2025/26 Championship season away to Leicester City on Sunday afternoon, and we're now facing the very real possibility of competitive fixtures being cancelled if Chansiri does not address and amend the situation in swift fashion.

It's clear for all to see that Wednesday are in need of new ownership, and there's already no way back for Chansiri considering just how sour it has all gone, but until then, he needs to financially support the club to the best of his capabilities and ensure staff at all levels are receiving their salaries on time.