'We are going to be a part of football's future' - football oversight chief the regulator's chair
The team's persistent issues constitute a "serious issue" and the independent regulator is seeking powers to investigate clubs in similar circumstances, its new chair the official has declared.
In a wide-ranging interview, the chairman, who was named to the position this week, expressed "sympathy" towards the club's followers.
The regulator engaged with four fan organizations associated with the Championship side in recent days.
The team have been experiencing difficulties in multiple areas in 2025, with the club delaying salary disbursements on five separate occasions, including in last month.
"Obviously the club has become a significant problem for EFL and a substantial concern for English football," Kogan told.
"The club represents one of the great brands for the English game and in recent days we have met supporters' organizations.
"Our aim is to acquire the ability... which will permit us to bring the club and similar situations submitted for our review if they require examination and acted upon."
Economic Challenges and Proprietorship Status
The team's struggling chairman Dejphon Chansiri stated during the off-season he would be prepared to relinquish control at their home ground, but he has not been able to secure a deal with interested parties.
Missed wage deadlines on time in earlier this year resulted in restrictions being imposed by the league officials in summer, preventing the club from carrying out any transfers or loans for the subsequent signing windows, although the ban was rescinded in August.
Regulator's Perspective
Kogan said: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, Bury or any football club where fans are dedicated to a regional establishment that has represented their community in many cases.
"I have absolute sympathy for 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 reasons that have nothing to do with the fans themselves."
Questioned about whether the oversight body could require an proprietor to divest a club if they are judged inappropriate, Kogan said: "Should the inquiry concern '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 forcing owners to sell clubs would be treated as a "last resort" and the regulator would prefer to cooperate with proprietors.
"The final option we would consider is begin intervening in an specific team, an individual owner, without being in a position to cooperate with that chairman to fix the problems affecting the organization and the proprietor's dealing with," the regulator explained.
"In actuality, when you review the record of the game, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been some owners, a small minority, but certain individuals who have acted carelessly in the approach they have taken toward their organizations and finally don't wish to take responsibility for the future."
Wednesday followers have been protesting against owner Dejphon Chansiri during the current campaign
'Mistakes could erase significant advances'
Kogan met with delegates from multiple organizations to lay out the remit of the oversight body this week and maintained it represented a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "substantial involvement" from the grassroots to elite level.
"The role holds considerable importance, because should mistakes occur, if the football community fails, the extraordinary progress that's been made could disappear rapidly," the regulator warned.
"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the realm of domestic football is a substantial accomplishment - we must maintain momentum.
"There's an enormous amount of money flowing into the game and has been channeled for the last 20 or 25 years, because certainty is lacking it will persist in entering the game, which is part of the rationale behind I think we have to take a really clear view on risk and of course, of the immediate future."
Elite Division Worries
Elite division representatives objected to the creation of a regulator because of concerns about detrimental effects on the elite division's competitive balance, but the chairman responded: "I completely endorse the prosperity and expansion as an financial organization of the Premier League.
"Being fully aware of the apprehension regarding damaging the Premier League as a premium product of England. But concurrently, if you consult with top flight officials after today's meeting, 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 Commissioner for Public Appointments after he revealed he contributed money to the opposition group in recent years.
The 68-year-old contributed funds to government minister the minister's leadership bid, along with that of the government leader.
"I've been completely open about my former ideological connection [with Labour], and that party membership ceased the day the select committee approved my appointment," the chairman stated.
"I am presently disconnected from any type of partisan engagement."
