'We will play a key role in football's future' - football oversight chief the regulator's chair
The team's persistent issues represent a a "significant problem" and the football regulator is looking to gain the ability to investigate clubs in similar circumstances, the recently named head the official has declared.
During an extensive discussion, the chairman, who was appointed on Monday, expressed "sympathy" towards supporters of the Owls.
The regulator engaged with four supporter groups representing the South Yorkshire club this week.
The football club 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.
"Clearly Sheffield Wednesday has been a serious issue for football authorities and a significant problem for football," the regulator explained.
"The club represents one of the great brands for football in England and recently we have met Sheffield Wednesday supporters' groups.
"We're now looking to get powers... 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 Leadership Concerns
The team's struggling chairman the Thai businessman suggested earlier this year he would be open to selling the club at Hillsborough, but he has failed to complete a sale with interested parties.
Missed wage deadlines on time in spring months led to sanctions by the football authorities in mid-year, blocking the team from conducting any transfers or loans for the following recruitment periods, although the ban was rescinded in the end of the transfer window.
Authority's Position
Kogan said: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the supporters of Wednesday, Bury or any football club where supporters are loyal to a local institution that has been part of their lives in numerous instances.
"I completely understand the club's situation, as I do for every team that over recent decades have faced collapse, or been close to going to the wall, for factors unrelated to the followers."
When asked if the regulator could force an owner to sell a club if they are judged inappropriate, the regulator answered: "If your question is 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is once we assemble the facts and understand the situation, we will."
But Kogan stressed that compelling proprietors to divest clubs would be viewed as the ultimate measure and the authority would rather to work with them.
"Our least desirable course of action is start getting involved with an specific team, an specific proprietor, without being able to work with that proprietor to address the problems affecting the organization and the owner's facing," the regulator explained.
"In actuality, when you examine the past of the game, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been certain proprietors, a small minority, but some who have been irresponsible in the approach they have taken toward their teams and eventually decline to assume obligation for the long-term prospects."
Owls fans have been protesting against the team's chairman this season
'Mistakes could erase significant advances'
Kogan met with officials from numerous teams to lay out the remit of the authority recently and stated it constituted a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "high level of engagement" from the grassroots to elite level.
"It's a job that's actually really important, because if we get it wrong, if the football community fails, the extraordinary progress that's been made could disappear rapidly," the regulator warned.
"This represents everyone's worst fear in the realm of domestic football is a major achievement - we need to continue the progress.
"There's an enormous amount of money coming into football and has been channeled for the recent generations, because there's no guarantee it will continue to come into football, which is one of the reasons why I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on challenges and obviously, of the coming seasons."
Elite Division Worries
The Premier League opposed the formation of an authority because of apprehensions regarding adverse consequences on the elite division's competitive balance, but the chairman responded: "I completely endorse the achievement and development as an financial organization of the Premier League.
"Being fully aware of the concern of undermining the Premier League as a premium product of this country. But at the same time, if you engage with division representatives after today's meeting, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, actually, they have been telling us in private they have a significant confidence."
Partisan Associations
The chairman continues to confront a "comprehensive investigation" by the public appointments commissioner after he disclosed making donations to the opposition group in recent years.
The official donated money to Culture Secretary the politician's campaign, along with that of the now Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
"I have been entirely transparent regarding my previous political affiliation [with Labour], and that ideological connection terminated the day the select committee approved my appointment," the chairman stated.
"I am presently disconnected from any sort of politics."
