Relegation-threatened Bundesliga club Kaiserslautern have been fined €125,000 and docked three points after they were found guilty of licensing irregularities.

The points deduction will be held over until next season.

“In particular, considerable contracts were withheld from the German Football Association and subsequently from the DFL relating to the personal rights of Kaiserslautern players,” read a statement by the German Football League.

According to the authorities, the payments stem from the 1997-98 season and have continued into the current season.

The news is a terrible blow to a club struggling to survive amid mounting losses. Their current debt is estimated at €40 and relegation could even see the club fold.