'Our role is integral to football's future' - independent football regulator the regulator's chair
The Championship club's current difficulties represent a a "serious issue" and the independent regulator is aiming to acquire authority to look into club affairs in comparable cases, the newly appointed chairman the regulator has announced.
In a wide-ranging interview, the chairman, who was recently selected, showed understanding towards the club's followers.
Kogan met with four supporters' associations representing the Championship side this week.
The team have been experiencing difficulties in multiple areas in 2025, with the club missing wage payments on multiple instances, including in the autumn.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a significant problem for EFL and a substantial concern for English football," Kogan told.
"Sheffield Wednesday is one of the great brands for the English game and this week we have met supporters' organizations.
"Our aim is to acquire the ability... which will permit us to bring Wednesday and comparable cases submitted for our review if they require examination and acted upon."
Economic Challenges and Leadership Concerns
The team's struggling chairman Dejphon Chansiri stated during the off-season he would be willing to sell up at the stadium, but he has not been able to secure a deal with potential new owners.
Failure to pay player wages on time in earlier this year resulted in restrictions being imposed by the league officials in summer, preventing the club from carrying out any recruitment activities for the next three transfer windows, although those limitations were removed in late summer.
Regulator's Perspective
Kogan said: "The position was created for the Owls followers, other clubs in similar situations where supporters are loyal to a community organization that has been part of their lives in many cases.
"I fully appreciate the club's situation, as I do for all the clubs that in modern times have encountered failure, or nearly ceased operations, for factors unrelated to the fans themselves."
Inquired if the regulator could force an owner to sell a club if they are deemed unsuitable, Kogan said: "If your question is 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is once we assemble the facts and understand the situation, we will."
But the chairman emphasized that requiring chairmen to relinquish clubs would be considered the final option and the regulator would prefer to work with them.
"The last thing what we want to do is begin intervening in an specific team, an individual owner, without being able to work with that owner to try and resolve the challenges confronting the team and the proprietor's dealing with," the regulator explained.
"However, realistically, when you examine the past of football, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been certain proprietors, a small minority, but some who have been irresponsible in the way which they've been managing their clubs and ultimately refuse to accept accountability for the coming years."
Sheffield Wednesday supporters have been demonstrating against owner Dejphon Chansiri this season
'Errors may undo substantial development'
Kogan met with officials from numerous teams to detail the scope of the oversight body this week and insisted it was a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "high level of engagement" from the grassroots to elite level.
"This position carries substantial significance, because if we get it wrong, if the sport makes errors, the extraordinary progress that's been made might evaporate rapidly," Kogan said.
"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the terms of English football is a substantial accomplishment - we need to continue the progress.
"Considerable investment flowing into the game and has been invested for the past two decades, because there's no guarantee it will keep flowing into the sport, which is one of the reasons why I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on risk and of course, of the coming seasons."
Premier League Concerns
The Premier League opposed the formation of an authority because of fears of a negative impact on the elite division's competitive balance, but the chairman responded: "I'm absolutely committed to the prosperity and expansion as an financial organization of the Premier League.
"I of all people understand the concern of undermining the division as a high-quality offering of this country. But simultaneously, 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 considerable comfort."
Ideological Links
The regulator remains subject to a "full inquiry" by the Commissioner for Public Appointments after he revealed he contributed money to the Labour Party in 2020.
The chairman contributed funds to government minister the politician's campaign, along with that of the current Prime Minister.
"I've been completely open about my previous political affiliation [with Labour], and that ideological connection terminated the day the official body endorsed my nomination," the chairman stated.
"I currently have no participation in any type of partisan engagement."
