Football regulator chair threatens to resign over any political interference in Man City case

Independent Football Regulator (IFR) chair David Kogan has vowed to resign if political interference influences any action his organisation takes regarding Manchester City’s ownership, amid growing scrutiny over the club’s Premier League charges and the government’s diplomatic interests.

Speaking at the launch of the IFR’s ‘State of the Game’ publication in Manchester on Tuesday, Kogan said: “Our independence is absolute, and my independence personally is absolute. I made it very clear in an interview last year that if we (experience) any form of political interference on the way we operate it is going to result in my resigning from this role, and I stand by that completely.”

He was equally emphatic that no such pressure had materialised: “Just to be crystal clear, we’ve come under absolutely no political pressure whatsoever on this or any other topic, and I don’t expect to in the future.”

The remarks follow comments from Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who admitted he would be “really concerned” if Manchester City’s Abu Dhabi owners were to depart in the wake of the Premier League charges ruling, citing potential consequences for UK-UAE diplomatic and commercial relations. Those comments drew criticism from several quarters.

An independent commission previously found that Manchester City deliberately circumvented Premier League financial regulations across a nine-season period. The club has lodged an appeal against that verdict, but if it is upheld, the IFR holds the authority to mandate that owners sell their stakes in the most serious cases.

An earlier draft of the Football Governance Bill had included a provision requiring the regulator to weigh the UK Government’s trade and foreign policy priorities when assessing owner suitability, though that clause was subsequently removed before the bill became law.

Kogan’s own position has not been without controversy. His appointment recently faced scrutiny from the Commissioner for Public Appointments over his past ties to the Labour Party. An investigation found that Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy had breached procedural rules by failing to register donations received from Kogan, though it concluded he was unaware of the breach and raised no concerns about his fitness for the role.

Shadow Culture Minister Louie French argued that a “Labour donor and key crony cannot lead an Independent Football Regulator”, a charge Kogan rejected, insisting he had carried out his duties properly.