As Sheffield Wednesday prepare for the 2025/26 Championship season, the club finds itself mired in a deepening crisis that threatens to unravel years of progress. The departure of manager Danny Rohl, a transfer embargo spanning three windows, key player exits, and growing fan discontent with owner Dejphon Chansiri have cast a dark shadow over Hillsborough. With the season opener against Leicester City looming on August 10, the Owls’ immediate future looks precarious at best.
Danny Rohl’s Departure
Sheffield Wednesday confirmed that manager Danny Rohl would leave the club by mutual consent, ending his two-year tenure at Hillsborough. The 36-year-old German, hailed as a miracle worker for steering the Owls to safety in the 2023/24 season and securing a respectable 12th-place finish in 2024/25, had been at odds with owner Dejphon Chansiri for months. Reports of a fractured relationship, exacerbated by a lack of communication over transfer plans and ongoing financial turmoil, made Rohl’s exit inevitable.
Sheffield Wednesday can confirm the departure of manager Danny Röhl by mutual consent#swfc
— Sheffield Wednesday (@swfc) July 29, 2025
Rohl, who had been linked with clubs like Leicester City and Brentford, is expected to land a new role swiftly, given his reputation as a highly-rated tactician. His assistant, Henrik Pedersen, is reportedly in line to take over as manager, provided he receives assurances from the club.
Player Exits and Contract Terminations
Sheffield Wednesday’s squad has been significantly weakened by a series of player departures, driven by the club’s failure to pay wages on time. Under FIFA regulations, players unpaid for two consecutive months can terminate their contracts with just cause, and several have taken advantage of this clause.
Notable exits include strikers Michael Smith and Josh Windass, who terminated their contracts by mutual consent. Smith and Windass were Wednesday’s top goalscorers in the 2024/25 season, netting eight and thirteen goals, respectively, and their departures leave a gaping hole in the squad. Talented winger Djeidi Gassama completed a move to Rangers. Callum Paterson and Akin Famewo have both departed the club in recent days. Meanwhile, club captain Barry Bannan attended pre-season training despite his out-0f-contract status.
Thank you, Pato 👊
— Sheffield Wednesday (@swfc) July 28, 2025
Wishing you the very best of luck for the future 🏴🦉 pic.twitter.com/0s7dgKQiap
Three-Window Transfer Embargo
Sheffield Wednesday’s financial mismanagement under Chansiri has led to a crippling three-window transfer embargo, imposed by the EFL in June 2025 and set to last until January 2027. The embargo stems from multiple breaches of EFL regulations, including non-payment of player wages in March and May 2025, as well as unpaid transfer fees to other clubs. The club also faces separate disciplinary charges related to these violations, with a potential points deduction looming for the 2025/26 season.
The embargo restricts Wednesday from paying transfer fees, loan fees, or compensation fees, limiting them to signing free agents or loan players without fees, and capping their squad at 23 players of professional standing. Despite this, the club managed to sign three Under-21 players—Harry Evers (formerly of Liverpool), Cole McGhee, and Denny Oliver—but these additions are unlikely to offset the loss of senior talent. The embargo, combined with the threat of further EFL sanctions, severely hampers Wednesday’s ability to rebuild a competitive squad.
Fan Discontent and Chansiri’s Ownership
Fan discontent with owner Dejphon Chansiri has reached a boiling point. The Thai businessman, who has owned the club since 2015, has overseen a decade of financial instability, including points deductions, previous embargoes, and relegation to League One in 2021. His repeated failure to pay wages and staff, coupled with rejected takeover bids, has led supporters to demanding his exit.
Chansiri’s refusal to accept offers from American consortiums, including one led by Sheffield-born businessman Adam Shaw, has further inflamed tensions. Clive Betts, the Labour MP for Sheffield South East and a Wednesday fan, accused Chansiri of “holding the club hostage” and lacking the resources to fund the club properly. Fans are also frustrated by Chansiri’s lack of transparency, exemplified by his claim at a January 2025 fan forum that Rohl had not provided a list of transfer targets—a statement Rohl later refuted.
A Club in Crisis
Sheffield Wednesday’s 12th-place finish in 2024/25 offered hope of progress under Rohl’s stewardship, but the events of the summer have plunged the club into chaos. With Rohl’s departure, a threadbare squad, a restrictive transfer embargo, and a deeply unpopular owner, the Owls face a potential relegation battle in the 2025/26 Championship season. The failure of takeover talks, including a collapsed deal with Lyon owner John Textor’s Eagle Football Group, leaves little optimism for immediate salvation.
