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Wigan have been deducted three points with immediate effect for failing to pay player salaries in March.
The penalty leaves the club eight points from safety in the Championship table, with eight matches remaining this season.
It is the fourth instance of not paying their squad in the last nine months, having also failed to do so in June, July and October of last year and breaches an agreement they had with EFL in January, where they accepted a suspended penalty.
An EFL statement read: “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 per cent 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 penalty leaves the Latics staring at an instant return to League One, from which they won promotion last season.
Bahraini businessman Abdulrahman Al-Jasmi fronted a takeover of Wigan in 2021 after they had gone into administration in the summer of 2020.
A Latics statement added: “The club notes the EFL statement and charge and will issue a further update on the current wage situation in due course.”
Wigan’s remaining fixtures in 2022/23 season
QPR (H) – Saturday April 1, 3pm
Sheffield United (A) – Friday April 7, 3pm
Swansea (H) – Monday April 10, 3pm
Blackpool (A) – Saturday April 15, 3pm
Stoke (A) – Tuesday April 18, 7.45pm
Millwall (H) – Saturday April 22, 3pm
Reading (A) – Saturday April 29, 3pm
Rotherham (H) – Monday May 8, 3pm
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