Football Regulator Kogan threatens resignation if Government interferes in Manchester City case

Independent Football Regulator chair David Kogan has issued a stark warning that he will step down if any Government pressure is brought to bear on the Manchester City Premier League financial misconduct case, following comments by Prime Minister Andy Burnham that raised questions about political involvement.

Burnham, the former Mayor of Greater Manchester, admitted he would be “really concerned” if City’s Abu Dhabi owners chose to sell the club in the wake of their guilty verdict for breaching Premier League spending rules. He also disclosed that he had held talks with City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, with concerns raised that the United Arab Emirates could scale back investment into the United Kingdom depending on the severity of any punishment.

Kogan moved swiftly to distance the IFR from any such considerations. “Our independence is absolute and my independence personally is absolute,” he said. “I made it very clear last year that any form of Government interference on the way we operate is going to result in me resigning from this role and I stand by that completely.”

The IFR chair was equally emphatic that no political pressure had yet been applied. “I should say, to be crystal clear, we’ve come under absolutely no political pressure on this or any other topic and I don’t expect to in the future. Ministers know full well that we are going to act completely independently.”

Kogan also addressed an earlier provision in the original Conservative Government legislation that required the regulator to take some account of British trade relationships, confirming it had been removed before the bill passed into law. “We are absolutely bound by one thing and that one thing is regulating football and regulating football clubs,” he said.

City were found guilty of fabricating “sham” contracts to artificially inflate commercial deals, giving them greater financial leverage over Premier League rivals. The club has lodged an appeal, though no timeline has been set for a final verdict from the newly appointed independent panel. Crucially, sanctions can be imposed before the appeal process concludes.

The newly established IFR holds significant powers, including the authority to force a club’s sale where ownership is deemed unsuitable or where criminal activity is proven. Should City’s ownership be found complicit in false accounting, the regulator could strip them of the club entirely. Every club will also be required to apply for an IFR licence, with that process set to begin next month.

Rival clubs have demanded robust punitive measures following the guilty verdict, with a points deduction or even expulsion from the Premier League among the potential sanctions City could face.