David Kogan, chair of the Independent Football Regulator (IFR), has declared that he will step down immediately if his office faces any political pressure concerning its response to Manchester City. The club was previously found guilty of breaching Premier League financial regulations over a nine-year period. Kogan emphasized that his personal and institutional independence is absolute, stating that any attempt at interference would make his position untenable. Kogan could remove City’s Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG) should the damning verdict of an independent commission be upheld at the end of an ongoing appeal process. Those concerns have been rebuffed by Kogan. “Our independence is absolute and my independence personally is absolute,” he said. “I [have] made it very clear … any form of political interference on the way we operate is going to result in my resigning from this role, and I stand by that completely. And, just to be crystal clear, we’ve come under absolutely no political pressure whatsoever on this or any other topic.”. “That process is reliant on us having very detailed knowledge and information, which requires a certain amount of investigation.
Addressing concerns that the club’s ties to Abu Dhabi’s leadership might invite government intervention, Kogan clarified that he has not yet experienced any political pressure. The IFR is preparing to implement a new licensing regime later this season, granting it the authority to investigate the conduct of club owners, directors, and senior executives to ensure they remain fit and proper individuals for their roles. If an owner fails to meet standards regarding integrity, honesty, and financial soundness, the regulator holds the power to mandate the sale of the club. Honesty and financial soundness”, the regulator could force the club to be sold. “We deal with issues of this type much more frequently than you might realise because we are constantly looking at clubs,” Kogan said, stating if any decision by the regulator became the subject of legal action then clubs would be asked to foot, should a club owner ultimately be found to have failed a “fitness” test related to “integrity.
Kogan noted that the regulator frequently deals with such issues as part of its ongoing oversight. Should regulatory decisions be challenged through legal action, the costs would be covered by the clubs via a funding levy. These regulatory powers were highlighted during the release of the “State of the Game” report, which underscores significant financial instability across English football. In the 2025-26 season, 94% of the 116 clubs under the regulator’s purview reported financial losses, with 11 Football League clubs showing costs exceeding income even before accounting for player wages. Then we would take judgments based on the legal advice that we then receive.”. The report found 11 Football League clubs recorded costs that exceeded their income even once player wages had been stripped out, in one particularly eye-catching statistic.
The report reveals a stark economic divide, noting that the highest-earning top-flight club generates 605 times the revenue of the lowest-earning National League side. Kogan identified several external pressures on the sport, including increased interest rates, the regulation of player agents, and an expanded fixture calendar. He suggested that reaching a redistribution agreement between the Premier League and the English Football League (EFL) is a critical step toward stabilizing the game.
Regarding parachute payments, Kogan acknowledged they are a response to sharp revenue drops following relegation but argued they have caused a long-term distortive effect. He proposed that reallocating those funds to benefit all clubs would have a stabilizing impact across the 116 professional teams. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy described the report’s figures as having “blown the doors off the game” and urged football authorities to act in the best interests of fans and their local communities.
The Premier League responded positively to the findings, citing the success and depth of the English football pyramid. The league stated that its offer of £320 million per season in redistribution to the EFL aligns with the IFR’s objectives and that it remains focused on securing a long-term partnership. Similarly, the EFL affirmed that the report supports its position that there is sufficient revenue within the sport to maintain a successful top flight alongside a thriving lower-league pyramid, expressing a commitment to constructive dialogue with the regulator and the Premier League.
