'We will play a key role in football's future' - football oversight chief the new chairman
The Championship club's current difficulties represent a a "serious issue" and the independent regulator is seeking powers to investigate clubs in similar circumstances, its new chair the official has stated.
In a wide-ranging interview, the chairman, who was appointed on Monday, showed understanding towards the club's followers.
Kogan met with four fan organizations representing the South Yorkshire club this week.
The football club have been struggling on and off the field in 2025, with the club delaying salary disbursements on five separate occasions, including in last month.
"Obviously the club has become a serious issue for football authorities and a major challenge for the sport," Kogan told.
"Wednesday stands as one of the historic institutions for English football and recently we have met supporters' organizations.
"We are seeking authority... which will permit us to bring the club and similar situations submitted for our review if they warrant scrutiny and addressed."
Economic Challenges and Leadership Concerns
The club's controversial proprietor 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 interested parties.
Failure to pay player wages on time in March and May resulted in restrictions being imposed by the football authorities in summer, stopping Wednesday from completing any recruitment activities for the following recruitment periods, although that restriction was lifted in the end of the transfer window.
Authority's Position
The regulator explained: "The position was created for the Owls followers, teams facing challenges where people are committed to a regional establishment that has been part of their lives in many cases.
"I have absolute sympathy for Sheffield Wednesday, as I do for all the clubs that in modern times have encountered failure, or approached financial ruin, for factors unrelated to the supporters."
Inquired if the regulator could force an chairman to relinquish a club if they are considered unfit, the chairman responded: "If your question is 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the reply is once we assemble the facts and comprehend the circumstances, we will."
But Kogan stressed that forcing owners to sell clubs would be viewed as the ultimate measure and the authority would rather to collaborate with owners.
"The last thing what we want to do is commence engagement with an individual club, an individual owner, without having the opportunity to collaborate with that owner to try and resolve the challenges confronting the team and the chairman's encountering," Kogan said.
"In actuality, when you review the record of the sport, over the past few decades there have been certain proprietors, not many, but certain individuals who have acted carelessly in the way which they've been managing their teams and eventually decline to assume obligation for the future."
Wednesday followers have been voicing opposition to the current proprietor in recent months
'Mistakes could erase significant advances'
The regulator engaged delegates from multiple organizations to explain the responsibilities of the regulator on Wednesday and stated it constituted a "proactive meeting" with a "substantial involvement" from the grassroots to elite level.
"This position carries substantial significance, because if we get it wrong, if the football community fails, the extraordinary progress that's been made could disappear swiftly," the chairman stated.
"This represents everyone's worst fear in the realm of domestic football is a substantial accomplishment - we've got to keep it going.
"Substantial financial resources coming into football and has been channeled for the last 20 or 25 years, because certainty is lacking it will continue to come into football, which is among the factors explaining I think we have to adopt a precise perspective on potential dangers and naturally, of the immediate future."
Premier League Concerns
The Premier League opposed the formation of an authority because of apprehensions regarding adverse consequences on the top-flight's competitiveness, but Kogan said: "I'm absolutely committed to the achievement and development as an financial organization of the top division.
"As someone who appreciates the apprehension regarding damaging the top flight as an elite competition of the nation. But concurrently, 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 considerable comfort."
Political Connections
Kogan is still facing a "full inquiry" by the Commissioner for Public Appointments after he disclosed making donations to the Labour Party in recent years.
The 68-year-old contributed funds to government minister Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the current Prime Minister.
"I have been entirely transparent regarding my previous political affiliation [with Labour], and that party membership ceased the day the select committee approved my appointment," the regulator explained.
"I am presently disconnected from any sort of politics."
