'Our role is integral to football's future' - football oversight chief the regulator's chair
The Championship club's ongoing struggles are seen as a "significant problem" and the new football authority is seeking powers to investigate clubs in such situations, its new chair the official has stated.
Through a comprehensive talk, the regulator, who was named to the position this week, voiced concern towards the club's followers.
Kogan met with four supporters' associations connected to the South Yorkshire club recently.
The team have been struggling on and off the field in 2025, with the club missing wage payments on five separate occasions, including in the autumn.
"Clearly Sheffield Wednesday has been a significant problem for EFL and a substantial concern for English football," the regulator explained.
"The club represents one of the iconic names for the English game and recently we have met fan representatives.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will permit us to bring Sheffield Wednesday - and other clubs submitted for our review if they need to be investigated and dealt with."
Monetary Issues and Ownership Situation
The team's struggling chairman Dejphon Chansiri stated during the off-season he would be open to selling the club at the stadium, but he has failed to complete a sale with potential new owners.
Missed wage deadlines on time in March and May caused limitations by the football authorities in mid-year, blocking the team from conducting any player acquisitions for the next three transfer windows, although that restriction was lifted in late summer.
Official's Viewpoint
The regulator explained: "Our role exists to serve the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, other clubs in similar situations where supporters are loyal to a regional establishment that has represented their community in many cases.
"I completely understand the team's plight, as I do for each organization that in modern times have encountered failure, or been close to going to the wall, for reasons that have nothing to do with the supporters."
Questioned about whether the regulator could force an proprietor to divest a club if they are judged inappropriate, the regulator answered: "Should the inquiry concern 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the reply is once we assemble the facts and know what's going on, we will."
But Kogan stressed that forcing owners to sell clubs would be viewed as the ultimate measure and the regulator would prefer to collaborate with owners.
"The last thing what we want to do is begin intervening in an particular organization, an particular chairman, without having the opportunity to collaborate with that proprietor to address the challenges confronting the team and the proprietor's dealing with," the regulator explained.
"But the truth is, when you examine the past of the sport, over the past few decades there have been particular chairmen, a small minority, but particular people who have shown negligence in the way which they've been managing their organizations and finally don't wish to take responsibility for the long-term prospects."
Sheffield Wednesday supporters have been voicing opposition to the current proprietor in recent months
'Mistakes could erase significant advances'
The chairman convened with officials from numerous teams to detail the scope of the regulator on Wednesday and insisted it was a "progressive gathering" with a "substantial involvement" from the National League to the Premier League.
"This position carries substantial significance, because if errors are made, if the world of football gets it wrong, the extraordinary progress that's been made could disappear swiftly," Kogan said.
"And that's what nobody wants in the terms of English football is a substantial accomplishment - we've got to keep it going.
"There's an enormous amount of money flowing into the game and has been invested for the past two decades, because there are no assurances it will keep flowing into the sport, which is among the factors explaining I think we have to adopt a precise perspective on potential dangers and naturally, of the next two or three years."
Top Flight Apprehensions
The Premier League opposed the formation of an authority because of fears of a negative impact on the Premier League's sporting equality, but Kogan said: "I'm absolutely committed to the achievement and development as an economic entity of the top division.
"Being fully aware of the worry about compromising 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 substantial amount of confidence -and, indeed, they have been telling us in private they have a high level of reassurance."
Ideological Links
The regulator remains subject to a "comprehensive investigation" by the public appointments commissioner after he acknowledged providing funds to the opposition group in 2020.
The official provided financial support for Culture Secretary the minister's leadership bid, along with that of the now Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
"I've been completely open about my previous political affiliation [with Labour], and that ideological connection terminated the day the select committee approved my appointment," Kogan said.
"I am no longer involved in any sort of politics."
