'We will play a key role in football's future' - newly appointed regulator the regulator's chair
Sheffield Wednesday's ongoing struggles are seen as a "significant problem" and the football regulator is seeking powers to examine team situations in such situations, its new chair the official has declared.
In a wide-ranging interview, the chairman, who was appointed on Monday, showed understanding towards the club's followers.
Kogan met with four fan organizations associated with the South Yorkshire club recently.
The Championship side have been experiencing difficulties in multiple areas in 2025, with the club failing to pay players on time on five separate occasions, including in September.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a major concern for the league and a significant problem for football," the regulator explained.
"The club represents one of the iconic names for English football and this week we have met supporters' organizations.
"Our aim is to acquire the ability... which will permit us to bring the club and similar situations referred to us if they warrant scrutiny and addressed."
Economic Challenges and Leadership Concerns
The team's struggling chairman Dejphon Chansiri stated during the off-season he would be open to selling the club at Hillsborough, but he has been unable to finalize an agreement with prospective buyers.
Delayed salary payments on time in spring months resulted in restrictions being imposed by the English Football League (EFL) in June, blocking the team from conducting any player acquisitions for the subsequent signing windows, although the ban was rescinded in the end of the transfer window.
Authority's Position
The regulator explained: "Our role exists to serve the supporters of Wednesday, other clubs in similar situations where supporters are loyal to a local institution that has represented their community in multiple situations.
"I fully appreciate the team's plight, as I do for all the clubs that over recent decades have faced collapse, or nearly ceased operations, for reasons that have nothing to do with the supporters."
Inquired if the authority might compel an owner to sell a club if they are considered unfit, Kogan said: "When asking whether 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the reply is once we collect the information and understand the situation, we will."
But the chairman emphasized that compelling proprietors to divest clubs would be viewed as the ultimate measure and the authority would rather to cooperate with proprietors.
"The final option we would consider is start getting involved with an individual club, an specific proprietor, without being in a position to cooperate with that proprietor to address the issues that the club's facing and the chairman's encountering," Kogan said.
"However, realistically, when you examine the past of the sport, over the past few decades there have been certain proprietors, not many, but particular people who have shown negligence in the approach they have taken toward their organizations and finally don't wish to take responsibility for the future."
Owls fans have been demonstrating against owner Dejphon Chansiri in recent months
'Mistakes could erase significant advances'
The chairman convened with representatives from 110 clubs to detail the scope of the regulator on Wednesday and insisted it was a "progressive gathering" with a "high level of engagement" from the lower divisions to the top flight.
"It's a job that's actually really important, because should mistakes occur, if the world of football gets it wrong, the remarkable development accomplished might evaporate rapidly," the regulator warned.
"And that's what nobody wants in the realm of domestic football is a major achievement - we need to continue the progress.
"Substantial financial resources coming into football and has been invested for the recent generations, because there's no guarantee it will persist in entering the game, which is among the factors explaining I think we have to adopt a precise perspective on challenges and obviously, of the immediate future."
Premier League Concerns
The Premier League opposed the establishment of an oversight body because of apprehensions regarding adverse consequences on the top-flight's competitiveness, but the regulator stated: "I'm absolutely committed to the success and growth as an financial organization of the top division.
"I of all people understand the worry about compromising the top flight as an elite competition of this country. But concurrently, if you engage with division representatives after today's meeting, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, actually, they have been advising us privately they have a significant confidence."
Partisan Associations
Kogan is still facing a "thorough examination" by the official appointments authority after he revealed he contributed money to the opposition group in 2020.
The 68-year-old donated money to Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport the minister's leadership bid, along with that of the government leader.
"I have fully disclosed my past party membership [with Labour], and that party membership ceased the day the official body endorsed my nomination," the chairman stated.
"I currently have no participation in any type of partisan engagement."
