Exclusive:Dejphon Chansiri silent on investigations into Sheffield Wednesday director conduct
Outgoing Sheffield Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri has elected to maintain his silence on the circumstances around an outstanding £3.7m loan that was taken from a sometime football agent.
The Star revealed over the weekend that a hefty £3.7m debt is owed to a Mr Luis Miguel Azevedo Povoa Alves after the figure appeared on the club’s creditor list. Alves, who is currently a registered agent in Portugal, appears to have had a long-held relationship of sorts with Wednesday having been the lead intermediary on two deals that brought players to Hillsborough - Marco Matias in July 2015 and Momo Diaby in August 2023.
Though Alves was an FA-registered agent in the 2023/24 season and is currently live on the Portuguese Football Federation’s list of registered agents for 2025/26. The fees are believed to have been received over at least two payments in late 2024 and it should be stressed that it is not clear whether Alves was acting as a registered agent at the time the money was leant. It has been suggested to The Star that the taking of loans from agents or agencies could be something of a regulatory grey area.
The Star’s developed understanding is that as a result of the statutory investigations into club matters, administrators at Begbies Traynor (BTG), the issue was flagged to the Football Association - though they may have already been aware. It’s understood there is no concern over disciplinary sanctions against Sheffield Wednesday FC.
In a proposal made available to creditors late last week, BTG made clear that investigations into the conduct of directors or ‘de facto directors’ active at the club three years prior to administration had raised ‘several matters require further clarification’. It has not yet been confirmed whether the Alves loan is a central part of their enquiries.
Making contact via Sheffield Wednesday, The Star has asked Chansiri for comment on five lines of enquiry, including whether he believed the arrangement with Alves had fallen within the appropriate sporting regulations, his response to investigations into the conduct of club directors in his time as owner, whether he is under investigation by any other football or regulatory authority - and whether he is complying with any investigations. Four days on, Chansiri is yet to provide a response.
The Star has also reached out to Alves in an attempt to gain clarity on the matter. In over 24 hours there had not yet been any response. It is unknown what recourse the FA would have against Chansiri even if it were proven he had breached any regulations. In December the Thai was ‘prohibited from being an owner or director of any EFL Club for a period of three years’ for his guiding role in the club’s financial demise.