'Our role is integral to football's future' - football oversight chief the new chairman
Sheffield Wednesday's ongoing struggles are seen as a "significant problem" and the football regulator is looking to gain the ability to investigate clubs in similar circumstances, the newly appointed chairman the regulator has stated.
In a wide-ranging interview, the regulator, who was appointed on Monday, expressed "sympathy" towards the club's followers.
Kogan met with four supporters' associations representing the South Yorkshire club 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 last month.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a significant problem for EFL and a substantial concern for English football," Kogan told.
"The club represents one of the iconic names for football in England and this week we have met supporters' organizations.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will allow us to have Wednesday and comparable cases submitted for our review if they need to be investigated and acted upon."
Economic Challenges and Leadership Concerns
The team's struggling chairman Dejphon Chansiri stated during the off-season he would be prepared to relinquish control at Hillsborough, but he has not been able to secure a deal with prospective buyers.
Missed wage deadlines on time in March and May led to sanctions by the English Football League (EFL) in mid-year, stopping Wednesday from completing any recruitment activities for the following recruitment periods, although the ban was rescinded in August.
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 local institution that has represented their community in many cases.
"I completely understand Sheffield Wednesday, as I do for every team that in modern times have encountered failure, or approached financial ruin, for factors unrelated to the fans themselves."
When asked if the oversight body could require an proprietor to divest a club if they are judged inappropriate, Kogan said: "Should the inquiry concern 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer 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 authority would rather to cooperate with proprietors.
"The last thing what we want to do is commence engagement with an particular organization, an individual owner, without being able to work with that owner to try and resolve the issues that the club's facing and the owner's facing," Kogan said.
"However, realistically, when you examine the past of football, over the past few decades there have been some owners, a small minority, but some who have been irresponsible in the approach they have taken toward their teams and eventually don't wish to take responsibility for the future."
Sheffield Wednesday supporters have been demonstrating against the current proprietor this season
'Errors may undo substantial development'
The chairman convened with officials from numerous teams to explain the responsibilities of the oversight body this week and insisted it was a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "significant participation" from the lower divisions to the top flight.
"This position carries substantial significance, because if we get it wrong, if the sport makes errors, the remarkable development accomplished might evaporate rapidly," the chairman stated.
"This represents everyone's worst fear in the terms of English football is a huge success story - we need to continue the progress.
"Substantial financial resources flowing into the game and has been invested for the recent generations, because there are no assurances it will continue to come into football, which is one of the reasons why I think we have to adopt a precise perspective on challenges and obviously, of the coming seasons."
Elite Division Worries
The Premier League opposed the formation of an authority because of apprehensions regarding adverse consequences on the elite division's competitive balance, but the regulator stated: "I completely endorse the success and growth as an financial organization of the top division.
"I of all people understand the apprehension regarding damaging the top flight as an elite competition of this country. But simultaneously, if you talk to the Premier League after this week's discussion, they would have had a significant degree of comfort -and, in fact, they have been informing us confidentially they have a significant confidence."
Partisan Associations
The chairman continues to confront a "thorough examination" by the public appointments commissioner after he disclosed making donations to the Labour Party in 2020.
The 68-year-old provided financial support for Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport the minister's leadership bid, along with that of the government leader.
"I've been completely open about my former ideological connection [with Labour], and that party membership ceased the day the parliamentary committee confirmed my selection," the chairman stated.
"I am no longer involved in any form of political activity."
