'Our role is integral to football's future' - independent football regulator the new chairman
The Championship club's persistent issues represent a a "major concern" and the football regulator is looking to gain the ability to look into club affairs in comparable cases, the newly appointed chairman the regulator has announced.
In a wide-ranging interview, the chairman, who was recently selected, expressed "sympathy" towards Wednesday's fanbase.
The chairman convened with four fan organizations connected to the Championship side recently.
The team have been struggling on and off the field in 2025, with the club missing wage payments on multiple instances, including in the autumn.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a significant problem for EFL and a major challenge for the sport," the chairman stated.
"Wednesday stands as one of the historic institutions for football in England and recently we have met fan representatives.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will permit us to bring the club and similar situations referred to us if they need to be investigated and addressed."
Economic Challenges and Ownership Situation
The team's struggling chairman Dejphon Chansiri stated during the off-season he would be willing to sell up at their home ground, but he has not been able to secure a deal with potential new owners.
Missed wage deadlines on time in March and May led to sanctions by the English Football League (EFL) in June, blocking the team from conducting any transfers or loans for the subsequent signing windows, although those limitations were removed in the end of the transfer window.
Regulator's Perspective
Kogan said: "Our role exists to serve the Owls followers, Bury or any football club where fans are dedicated to a local institution that has existed throughout their lifetimes in numerous instances.
"I fully appreciate Sheffield Wednesday, as I do for all the clubs that over recent decades have faced collapse, or been close to going to the wall, for factors unrelated to the fans themselves."
Inquired if the oversight body could require an owner to sell a club if they are deemed unsuitable, the chairman responded: "When asking whether 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is once we gather the evidence and understand the situation, we will."
But the regulator clarified that forcing owners to sell clubs would be viewed as the ultimate measure and the oversight body would choose to work with them.
"The last thing what we want to do is commence engagement with an specific team, an particular chairman, without having the opportunity to collaborate with that owner to try and resolve the challenges confronting the team and the proprietor's dealing with," Kogan said.
"However, realistically, when you review the record of the sport, over the recent generations there have been some owners, not many, but particular people who have shown negligence in the way which they've been managing their clubs and ultimately refuse to accept accountability for the future."
Wednesday followers have been demonstrating against owner Dejphon Chansiri in recent months
'Errors may undo substantial development'
The chairman convened with officials from numerous teams to explain the responsibilities of the oversight body this week and maintained it represented a "proactive meeting" with a "substantial involvement" from the lower divisions to the top flight.
"It's a job that's actually really important, because should mistakes occur, if the football community fails, the significant advances achieved might evaporate incredibly quickly," Kogan said.
"And that's what nobody wants in the realm of domestic football is a major achievement - we need to continue the progress.
"Considerable investment flowing into the game and has been channeled for the past two decades, because there are no assurances it will keep flowing into the sport, which is one of the reasons why I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on risk and of course, of the immediate future."
Top Flight Apprehensions
Top flight officials resisted the creation of a regulator because of apprehensions regarding adverse consequences on the elite division's competitive balance, but Kogan said: "I'm absolutely committed to the success and growth as an economic entity of the top division.
"I of all people understand the concern of undermining the Premier League as a premium product of the nation. But simultaneously, if you engage with division representatives after the recent gathering, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, in fact, they have been advising us privately they have a considerable comfort."
Political Connections
The chairman continues to confront a "comprehensive investigation" by the official appointments authority after he acknowledged providing funds to the opposition group in the past.
The chairman provided financial support for government minister the minister's leadership bid, along with that of the government leader.
"I have fully disclosed my former ideological connection [with Labour], and that ideological connection terminated the day the official body endorsed my nomination," Kogan said.
"I currently have no participation in any type of partisan engagement."
