EFL Championship: Wigan Athletic enter bankruptcy protection just month after Hong Kong consortium's takeover

Wigan: Wigan, the 2013 FA Cup winners now in the second division, have entered bankruptcy protection due to the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic, only a month after being taken over by a Hong Kong-based consortium. The northwest England club is 14th in the League Championship with six games remaining of the season that restarted, without fans being allowed into matches, after a three-month break because of the pandemic. “Our immediate objectives are to ensure the club completes all its fixtures this season and to urgently find interested parties to save Wigan Athletic FC and the jobs of the people who work for the club," Begbies Traynor, the business recovery company, said in a statement. “Obviously the suspension of the Championship season due to COVID-19 has had a significant impact on the recent fortunes of the club. “Wigan Athletic has been a focal point and source of pride for the town since 1932 and anyone who is interested in buying this historic sporting institution should contact the joint administrators directly.” The club was relegated from the Premier League in 2013 — the same year it shocked Manchester City in the FA Cup final. Wigan dropped down into third-tier League One in 2015 but made an immediate return to the Championship. The club reported losses of 9.2 million pounds ($11 million) last year.