Retired goalkeeper Tony Warner is at loggerheads with Floriana after claiming that he’s owed €17,544 in unpaid wages but the Premier League club are adamant that the payment has been effected.
Warner, who began his career with Liverpool, joined Floriana in October last year soon after Steve Vaughan Sr tied up a deal to effectively take over the club.
Francis Jeffers was Floriana’s other marquee signing but the former Everton striker quit the club after a few weeks.
Warner enjoyed a positive spell with the Greens to the point that he was promoted to team captain but his relationship with the club has since been soured by the on-going financial wrangle.
“When I was playing over in Malta, I was owed wages from February until June,” Warner, who is now working as goalkeeping coach of Championship club Blackpool, told Times of Malta.
“The last time I was paid was in January. The owners kept telling me to wait until the next month.
“It just went too far. I had to take my case to the Malta FA.”
Floriana have insisted all along that they transferred the money to Warner’s bank account and have produced bank receipts to back their stance but the 39-year-old was having none of that.
“They’ve said that they paid me in August and September but I haven’t received anything,” Warner said.
“My solicitor is now handling the matter. He has sent my bank statements to Adrian Camilleri, the MFA prosecutor, to show that the money Floriana are claiming to have put into my account is not there.
“Either they have placed the money in the wrong account or they are not telling the truth.
“I wonder if this is what happened with most of the other players who had similar problems with the club last season.”
Warner said this saga has tarnished the good memories he had of his stint in Maltese football.
“It did unfortunately,” Warner said. “You’re away from your family and not getting paid for five months is very disappointing.
“I’ve met some nice people at the club and it was an interesting end to my career but I’m disappointed that it has ended like this.
“I can’t understand why clubs don’t pay their players.”
Contacted by Times of Malta, Steve Vaughan Jr, the president of Floriana, insisted that the club have paid Warner.
“As far as we’re concerned, the money has left our account for Warner’s account,” Vaughan said.
“I admit that it was late but he got the money and we’ve got the bank statements to prove it.”