Football regulator Kogan vows to resign if government interferes in Man City case

Independent Football Regulator chair David Kogan has issued an unambiguous warning that he will resign if any government interference shapes the outcome of Manchester City’s ongoing Premier League case, as the club awaits a final ruling that could cost them points, their top-flight status, or even their ownership.

Kogan’s statement comes after Prime Minister Andy Burnham — formerly Mayor of Greater Manchester — admitted he would be “really concerned” if City’s Abu Dhabi owners decided to sell the club following their guilty verdict for breaching Premier League spending rules. Burnham has since revealed he held a meeting with City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, and concerns have been raised that the UAE could scale back investment into the United Kingdom if the sanctions are deemed too severe.

“Our independence is absolute and my independence personally is absolute,” Kogan 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.”

Kogan was equally firm that no such pressure has materialised. “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.”

City were found guilty of creating “sham” contracts that artificially inflated commercial deals, giving them greater spending power over Premier League rivals — a verdict that has prompted fierce demands from other clubs for strong punitive action. The club has lodged an appeal, though there is no fixed timetable for a new independent panel to deliver its final ruling. Crucially, sanctions can be imposed before that appeal process concludes.

The IFR holds sweeping powers under its new legislative framework, including the ability to force a change of ownership if criminal activity is established or if an ownership group is deemed unsuitable. Should City’s owners be found complicit in false accounting, the regulator could move to strip them of the club entirely.

Kogan also noted that an earlier draft of the IFR legislation, introduced under the previous Conservative government, had contained a clause requiring the regulator to consider British trade relationships — a provision that was specifically removed during parliamentary debate. “We are absolutely bound by one thing,” he said, “and that one thing is regulating football and regulating football clubs.”

City’s operating licence will not be at risk while the appeal remains active, but that protection could fall away if the appeal is ultimately unsuccessful.