Football regulator’s chair says he will quit over political pressure
David Kogan says the Independent Football Regulator must remain free to act in the Manchester City case.
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Independent Football Regulator chair David Kogan has said he would resign if politicians interfered with any action involving Manchester City. He also said the regulator had faced no political pressure as it examined the financial and structural risks facing English football.
Kogan made the statement on Tuesday at the launch of the regulator’s State of the Game work. He said the IFR’s independence was absolute and that any attempt to influence its decisions would prompt his resignation. The regulator’s public timetable says the final statutory report is due by May 2027, with a draft expected later this year.
Manchester City is appealing against an independent commission’s finding that it breached Premier League financial rules over a nine-year period. If that finding is upheld, the IFR could assess whether the club’s owners and senior executives meet its suitability requirements. In the most serious cases, the regulator has powers that could force an owner to sell.
The political sensitivity increased after Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he would be concerned if Manchester City’s Abu Dhabi-linked owners left English football. Burnham previously served as mayor of Greater Manchester, where the club’s investment has been presented as part of the city’s economic development. Kogan said the regulator would judge any case on football regulation, not diplomatic or commercial considerations.
The State of the Game findings presented on Tuesday also described a sharply uneven financial landscape. The highest-earning Premier League club was reported to have 605 times the revenue of the lowest-earning club in the National League. The report also said 94% of the 116 clubs within the regulator’s scope made a loss in the 2025-26 season.
Legal disputes are adding to the pressure. The Premier League’s administrative spending on legal cases rose from £45 million in 2015-16 to £212 million in 2024-25, according to figures cited at the launch. Kogan said any future IFR legal action involving City would ultimately be funded by clubs through the regulator’s levy mechanism.
Kogan also called for an agreement on how money is shared between the Premier League and the English Football League. The Premier League said its latest offer, understood to be worth £320 million a season, met the regulator’s aims. The EFL said the findings supported its longstanding argument that the game generates enough revenue to sustain both the top flight and the wider pyramid.
The Football Governance Act requires the IFR to assess risks to English football’s financial soundness, resilience and heritage. Tuesday’s intervention therefore sets a clear boundary before the regulator’s licensing and ownership regimes become fully operational: ministers may set the legal framework, but decisions in individual cases are intended to remain evidence-based and institutionally independent.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- David Kogan said he would resign if political interference affected the IFR’s work.
- Manchester City is appealing an independent commission’s finding on Premier League financial rules.
- The IFR has statutory responsibilities covering club financial soundness, football-wide resilience and heritage.
- The State of the Game findings presented on Tuesday described large revenue gaps and widespread club losses.
Left
Arguments The figures show that English football’s wealth is concentrated at the top and that stronger redistribution and tougher oversight are needed. An independent regulator should be willing to challenge powerful owners and protect clubs, supporters and local communities from financial failure.
Values Equality, public accountability, workers’ and supporters’ interests, and the protection of football as a community institution.
Consequences Without intervention, the richest clubs may become more dominant while lower-league clubs carry greater financial risk. Redistribution and stronger ownership tests could make the pyramid more stable, even if they constrain some investment models.
Centre
Arguments The regulator should follow evidence and due process rather than political pressure or campaign demands. A negotiated redistribution settlement may be preferable to prolonged litigation, but any intervention in the Manchester City case must wait for the appeal and apply the same standards to every club.
Values Institutional independence, proportionality, legal certainty and financial sustainability.
Consequences A rules-based process could improve confidence among clubs and supporters, though it may take longer and produce less dramatic change than either political intervention or sweeping redistribution.
Right
Arguments Football decisions should not be shaped by ministers, diplomatic considerations or political relationships. The IFR should enforce clear rules narrowly, avoid turning financial inequality into a licence for central control, and recognise that private investment has helped build the Premier League’s global success.
Values Limited government, property rights, competitive markets and accountability for decisions made by independent bodies.
Consequences Keeping politicians at arm’s length may protect investment and the credibility of the competition, but a narrowly drawn regulator could leave financially fragile clubs and concentrated market power insufficiently addressed.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
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The central statement and all material figures are supported by reports published on 13 October 2026 and by the IFR’s statutory material. The article distinguishes Tuesday’s presentation from the final report, whose official timetable extends to 2027.
- confirmed David Kogan said he would resign if political interference affected the IFR’s work and said he had faced no political pressure. — Reported directly from Kogan’s remarks at the Tuesday launch. source
- confirmed Manchester City is appealing an independent commission finding concerning nine seasons of Premier League financial-rule breaches. — Reported by The Guardian and the Press Association. source
- confirmed The IFR can assess owners and may force a sale in serious cases. — Described in the report coverage and reflected in the regulator’s statutory powers. source
- confirmed The highest-earning Premier League club has revenue 605 times that of the lowest-earning National League club. — Figure reported in The Guardian’s account of the State of the Game findings. source
- confirmed 94% of 116 clubs in scope made a loss in 2025-26. — Figure reported in The Guardian’s account of the findings. source
- confirmed Premier League legal-case administration costs rose from £45 million in 2015-16 to £212 million in 2024-25. — Figure reported by the Press Association. source
- confirmed The IFR’s final statutory State of the Game report is due by May 2027. — Stated on the regulator’s official State of the Game page and supported by section 10 of the Act. source
- confirmed The Football Governance Act requires the IFR to assess risks affecting English football’s financial soundness, resilience and heritage. — Set out in the Act and the regulator’s explanation of its functions. source
Editor's note
Kogan’s resignation warning, the Manchester City appeal and the financial figures were reported by The Guardian and the Press Association. The IFR’s own timetable indicates that the final statutory State of the Game report is not due until May 2027, so Tuesday’s event is treated here as a launch of findings and regulatory work rather than final publication.Sources
- Football regulator chair insists he will resign if politically pressured over Manchester City — The Guardian
- Regulator chair would walk away if politics interfered in Man City investigation — The Irish News / Press Association
- State of the Game — Independent Football Regulator
- Football Governance Act 2025 — legislation.gov.uk
More on this in other media
- Sky News — „football independent football regulator”
- BBC News — „football independent football regulator”
- The Guardian — „football independent football regulator”