Yan Valery says he cannot understand why Sheffield Wednesday are being docked points because of the footballing sins of previous owner Dejphon Chansiri.

The Owls were docked 12 points for going into administration in October, then six more this week for failing to meet financial obligations last season. They could face further charges for the same offence in the early months of 2025-26, but the Football League will not seek further deductions.

It leave them on minus 10 points, 27 adrift of the Championship safety line. Even before the deductions, avoiding relegation seemed a tall order for a squad ravaged by the financial troubles and injuries; now it looks near impossible.

"As a French person I don't understand this rule because you're punishing players for something that we didn't do as a club," said French-raised Tunisian international Valery, speaking before the second deduction. "It's not our fault and it's killing us.

"But that's how it is in England and you have to take it. Maybe in France it's the same but I've never seen it.

"We all know who created this problem so for me you have to (only) punish him. They're punishing the whole club, players and fans, for something we had no control over."

Chansiri is banned from owning or being a director of a Football League club for three years.

The number of bidders for the club means the administrators are expected to push their December 5 target to name a preferred bidder back by around a week.

BEMUSED: Yan Valery (Image: Steve Ellis)

placeholder image — BEMUSED: Yan Valery (Image: Steve Ellis)

What annoyed Valery most about how Chansiri ran the 158-year-old club before losing control when it went into administration was a lack of communication ahead of not paying staff on time five times in seven months.

"You can choose to not pay us, you can have your own problems, but at least there's a minimum of communication," said Valery. "I've never been at a club like it, especially in the last three months.”

Points deductions for clubs going into administration were introduced in 2003 to combat the perception that some clubs were abusing the system to vastly reduce debts, then restructure.

Ligue 1 clubs Bastia (2017) and Toulouse (2001) were "administratively relegated" because of financial difficulties. So were Bordeaux in 2022 and Lyon this year, but both were reprieved on appeal.