'We will play a key role in football's future' - independent football regulator the new chairman
Sheffield Wednesday's ongoing struggles are seen as a "major concern" and the new football authority is looking to gain the ability to investigate clubs in similar circumstances, the newly appointed chairman the official has declared.
Through a comprehensive talk, the regulator, who was named to the position this week, showed understanding towards the club's followers.
Kogan met with four supporters' associations connected to the Championship side this week.
The football club have been struggling on and off the field in 2025, with the club failing to pay players on time on multiple instances, including in September.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a significant problem for EFL and a substantial concern for English football," the chairman stated.
"Wednesday stands as one of the historic institutions for English football and in recent days we have met fan representatives.
"Our aim is to acquire the ability... which will enable us to take Wednesday and comparable cases referred to us if they need to be investigated and dealt with."
Monetary Issues and Leadership Concerns
Wednesday's embattled owner Dejphon Chansiri suggested earlier this year he would be prepared to relinquish control at Hillsborough, but he has failed to complete a sale with potential new owners.
Failure to pay player wages on time in earlier this year resulted in restrictions being imposed by the English Football League (EFL) in mid-year, blocking the team from conducting any recruitment activities for the following recruitment periods, although those limitations were removed in the end of the transfer window.
Authority's Position
The chairman stated: "Our role exists to serve the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, teams facing challenges where people are committed to a regional establishment that has been part of their lives in multiple situations.
"I completely understand the team's plight, as I do for each organization that over recent decades have faced collapse, or approached financial ruin, for reasons that have nothing to do with the fans themselves."
Inquired if the regulator could force an proprietor to divest a club if they are deemed unsuitable, the chairman responded: "When asking whether 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the reply is once we gather the evidence and know what's going on, we will."
But the chairman emphasized that requiring chairmen to relinquish clubs would be viewed as the ultimate measure and the regulator would prefer to collaborate with owners.
"The last thing what we want to do is start getting involved with an specific team, an particular chairman, without having the opportunity to collaborate with that proprietor to address the problems affecting the organization and the owner's facing," Kogan said.
"In actuality, when you look back over the history of football, over the recent generations there have been some owners, a small minority, but some who have been irresponsible in the approach they have taken toward their organizations and finally refuse to accept accountability for the coming years."
Owls fans have been demonstrating against the team's chairman this season
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
The chairman convened with officials from numerous teams to detail the scope of the oversight body this week and maintained it represented a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "high level of engagement" from the grassroots to elite level.
"The role holds considerable importance, because if we get it wrong, if the sport makes errors, the remarkable development accomplished necessary will vanish swiftly," the regulator warned.
"And that's what nobody wants in the realm of domestic football is a huge success story - we must maintain momentum.
"Considerable investment entering the sport and has come into football for the recent generations, because there are no assurances it will persist in entering the game, which is part of the rationale behind I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on risk and of course, of the next two or three years."
Elite Division Worries
Elite division representatives objected to the creation of a regulator because of fears of a negative impact on the top-flight's competitiveness, but the chairman responded: "I'm absolutely committed to the success and growth as an financial organization of the Premier League.
"I of all people understand the concern of undermining the Premier League as a premium product of England. But at the same time, if you talk to the Premier League after today's meeting, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, in fact, they have been telling us in private they have a high level of reassurance."
Partisan Associations
The chairman continues to confront a "full inquiry" by the official appointments authority after he acknowledged providing funds to the opposition group in recent years.
The official donated money to Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the now Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
"I have fully disclosed my previous political affiliation [with Labour], and that ideological connection terminated the day the select committee approved my appointment," the regulator explained.
"I am presently disconnected from any sort of politics."
