'Our role is integral to football's future' - independent football regulator the new chairman
Sheffield Wednesday's persistent issues constitute a "significant problem" and the new football authority is seeking powers to investigate clubs in comparable cases, the recently named head the regulator has announced.
In a wide-ranging interview, Kogan, who was recently selected, voiced concern towards supporters of the Owls.
Kogan met with four supporter groups representing the South Yorkshire club in recent days.
The team have been experiencing difficulties in multiple areas in 2025, with the club failing to pay players on time on several different times, including in September.
"Obviously the club has become a significant problem for EFL and a significant problem for football," Kogan told.
"The club represents one of the great brands for football in England and in recent days we have met Sheffield Wednesday supporters' groups.
"Our aim is to acquire the ability... which will permit us to bring the club and similar situations brought to our attention if they require examination and acted upon."
Financial Struggles and Ownership Situation
The club's controversial proprietor the current owner suggested earlier this year he would be willing to sell up at their home ground, but he has not been able to secure a deal with prospective buyers.
Delayed salary payments on time in March and May resulted in restrictions being imposed by the football authorities in summer, preventing the club from carrying out any recruitment activities for the following recruitment periods, although that restriction was lifted in the end of the transfer window.
Official's Viewpoint
The regulator explained: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, other clubs in similar situations where fans are dedicated to a local institution that has represented their community in many cases.
"I have absolute sympathy for the team's plight, as I do for each organization that over recent decades have faced collapse, or approached financial ruin, for causes separate from the supporters."
When asked if the oversight body could require an owner to sell a club if they are considered unfit, Kogan said: "If your question is 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is once we collect the information and understand the situation, we will."
But the regulator clarified that forcing owners to sell clubs would be viewed as the ultimate measure and the authority would rather to cooperate with proprietors.
"Our least desirable course of action is commence engagement with an particular organization, an individual owner, without being in a position to cooperate with that chairman to fix the problems affecting the organization and the owner's facing," the chairman stated.
"But the truth is, when you review the record of the game, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been some owners, few in number, but certain individuals who have acted carelessly in the manner they have operated their organizations and finally decline to assume obligation for the coming years."
Wednesday followers have been demonstrating against owner Dejphon Chansiri this season
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
Kogan met with delegates from multiple organizations to lay out the remit of the regulator on Wednesday 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 errors are made, if the sport makes errors, the significant advances achieved might evaporate rapidly," the chairman stated.
"This represents everyone's worst fear in the context of the English game is a substantial accomplishment - we need to continue the progress.
"Considerable investment coming into football and has been channeled for the past two decades, because certainty is lacking it will persist in entering the game, which is one of the reasons why I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on risk and of course, of the next two or three years."
Top Flight Apprehensions
Top flight officials resisted the creation of a regulator because of concerns about detrimental effects on the top-flight's competitiveness, but the regulator stated: "I completely endorse the achievement and development as an financial organization of the Premier League.
"I of all people understand the apprehension regarding damaging the Premier League as a premium product of the nation. But simultaneously, if you talk to the Premier League after the recent gathering, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, indeed, they have been telling us in private they have a high level of reassurance."
Partisan Associations
The chairman continues to confront a "full inquiry" by the public appointments commissioner after he revealed he contributed money to the opposition group in recent years.
The official contributed funds to government minister the politician's campaign, along with that of the government leader.
"I've been completely open about my past party membership [with Labour], and that ideological connection terminated the day the official body endorsed my nomination," Kogan said.
"I currently have no participation in any form of political activity."
