English Football regulator Chief threatens to quit over Man City interference
Share This Post
David Kogan, chairman of English football's Independent Football Regulator (IFR), has pledged to step down if he is subjected to political interference over the future of Manchester City. The club is currently appealing findings that it breached Premier League financial rules.
Speaking to the BBC, Kogan said no politician had tried to influence the regulator's work, and stressed that its decisions would be guided by the law and established procedures.
Asked how he would respond to political pressure over the case, Kogan said: "I would resign."
"The Prime Minister is entirely entitled to make his own observations on anything," he said, referring to Prime Minister Andy Burnham's earlier comments about Manchester City's ownership.
"We are independent. That is in the name. I am the chairman of the Independent Football Regulator and independence absolutely runs through everything we're doing.
"And no politician has tried to influence and would try to influence anything we do on that."
Burnham had earlier said he would be "really concerned" if Manchester City's Abu Dhabi owners chose to sell the club. The remarks drew criticism from opposition politicians and raised concerns among some Premier League clubs about possible political interference. The prime minister subsequently denied that his comments had downplayed the seriousness of the findings against City. On Monday, the government published details of his meetings with senior club figures, following calls for greater transparency.
Kogan maintained that the regulator would carry out its statutory duties regardless of what politicians or others might say.
"As far as we, as the regulator, are concerned, we have a very, very clear course of action that is governed by statute and we are going to follow that course of action and no comment by any politician or indeed any individual is going to affect what we do," he said.
"Process is going to drive what we do. Process will lead us to a conclusion.
"We cannot reach any conclusion at this stage because we don't know the outcome of any appeal and once we do then we will act accordingly."
What happens next in the Man City case?
An independent commission found that Manchester City breached financial rules over a nine-year period between 2009 and 2018. Its findings included allegations that the club used commercial agreements to channel more than £830m into its football operations.
The commission also concluded that some club witnesses had given false or dishonest evidence in key respects. City have denied wrongdoing and have appealed the verdict.
A separate independent panel is expected to hold a sanctions hearing to decide the punishment, a process that could take several months. City would also be able to appeal any sanction imposed.
Reported possible punishments include a substantial fine, a points deduction, expulsion from the Premier League, or the removal of titles won during the period under investigation.
Kogan said the case would raise serious issues if the findings were upheld on appeal, and confirmed that the regulator would consider whether to use its own powers.
"We are waiting like everybody else to see what the independent panel will do… and then we will bring in a view in terms of our own investigation and statutory powers if we need to do so," he said.
"Our powers relate to individual owners, directors and senior executives. They refer to whether people are in a position to run a club in a way that is safe, coherent and done with probity, and we will be examining those things."
The regulator's remit includes assessing whether club owners and senior officials are suitable to run their teams. If the findings against City are upheld, the watchdog could consider whether action involving the club's ownership or executives is necessary.
