Football Regulator Chair David Kogan Says He Would Resign Over Any Political Interference in Man City Case

Since an independent commission found Manchester City broke Premier League financial rules over nine years, and since Prime Minister Andy Burnham said last month he would be "really concerned" if the club's Abu Dhabi owners sold up, the question has been whether the new football regulator can act free of Downing Street. Its chairman answered on Tuesday, Oct. 13.

"Our independence is absolute and my independence personally is absolute," David Kogan, chair of the Independent Football Regulator (IFR), said at the launch of the body's State of the Game report in Manchester.

He said any political interference "is going to result in my resigning from this role, and I stand by that completely." He added: "We've come under absolutely no political pressure whatsoever on this or any other topic, and I don't expect to in the future."

What the regulator can do

The IFR can assess whether club owners, directors and senior executives are fit and proper people. A failure of the test, judged on "integrity, honesty and financial soundness", could lead to a forced sale. The regulator can also withhold the operating licence it will start issuing to clubs from November.

Kogan said the verdict against City will not by itself decide a licence, because the appeal is still running. "A verdict once it's gone through an appeal process will certainly be something that we would clearly be taking into account," he said.

He described the process as slow and evidence-driven. It depends on "very detailed knowledge and information," he said, followed by judgments "based on the legal advice that we then receive."

The City findings

An independent commission found City broke Premier League rules between 2009 and 2018. Owner Abu Dhabi United Group, a private investment company belonging to Sheikh Mansour, the UAE deputy prime minister, is said to have topped up the value of commercial deals as part of a "disguised funding scheme" worth £830m. The panel found revenue was artificially inflated by more than $1bn.

City insist they are innocent and have appealed. The club won three titles during the period covered.

Burnham's comments

Burnham called the owners "such a huge partner in the building of modern Manchester and obviously the building of Manchester City into the global force that it is." He also said he would not get "directly involved in the process." He later denied that his reaction had "downplayed the seriousness of the findings."

Some Premier League clubs were "astonished" by his stance, sources told BBC Sport, and were "concerned" about political interference in the appeal process. Burnham's years as mayor of Greater Manchester have also prompted questions about his ties to City's ownership.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch demanded details of meetings between the prime minister and senior club figures. The government published them on Monday, Oct. 12.

One point cuts the other way. An earlier draft of the Football Governance Bill would have required the IFR to "have regard to the foreign and trade policy objectives" of the UK government when assessing suitability. That clause was scrapped.

Kogan's own record

Kogan's appointment as chair was the subject of an inquiry by the Commissioner for Public Appointments over his past links to the Labour Party. Asked about his probity, he said: "I'm not in the slightest bit concerned about accusations about my probity. I think it stands up to scrutiny, and you're more than welcome to scrutinise it."

Who pays if City sues

Kogan said the IFR would not take legal action "unless we thought we were going to win." Government funding would cover cash flow, he said, but the cost would be charged back to football through a levy on clubs. "I don't expect a problem with the Treasury or with DCMS," he said, if a major legal challenge arose.

The Premier League's administrative legal costs rose from £45m in 2015-16 to £212m in 2024-25, according to the State of the Game report. That period covers most of the league's long fight with City.

State of the Game

The report also gave the wider financial picture:

• 94% of the 116 clubs under the regulator's remit posted a financial loss in 2025-26.
• The highest-earning top-flight club takes in 605 times the revenue of the lowest-earning National League club.
• Spending rose at every level of the pyramid.

Kogan said the regulator wants a deal on redistribution of money through the leagues.

What comes next

The appeal outcome is the trigger. Kogan said the IFR is awaiting it, and no date for a ruling has been given. If the verdict stands, the IFR's fitness-and-propriety review of City's owners would be its first major test, with licensing set to begin in November.