'We are going to be a part of football's future' - independent football regulator the new chairman
The team's current difficulties constitute a "major concern" and the independent regulator is aiming to acquire authority to look into club affairs in similar circumstances, the newly appointed chairman the official has stated.
In a wide-ranging interview, the chairman, who was appointed on Monday, expressed "sympathy" towards the club's followers.
The regulator engaged with four supporter groups associated with the Championship side in recent days.
The Championship side have been experiencing difficulties in multiple areas in 2025, with the club delaying salary disbursements on several different times, including in the autumn.
"Obviously the club has become a serious issue for football authorities and a significant problem for football," Kogan told.
"Wednesday stands as one of the historic institutions for the English game and in recent days we have met Sheffield Wednesday supporters' groups.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will enable us to take Wednesday and comparable cases submitted for our review if they require examination and acted upon."
Economic Challenges and Leadership Concerns
The club's controversial proprietor the Thai businessman suggested earlier this year he would be open to selling the club at their home ground, 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 league officials in June, blocking the team from conducting any transfers or loans for the next three transfer windows, although those limitations were removed in the end of the transfer window.
Authority's Position
The chairman stated: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the supporters of Wednesday, teams facing challenges where people are committed to a local institution that has been part of their lives in multiple situations.
"I have absolute sympathy for Sheffield Wednesday, as I do for all the clubs that since 1992 have gone to the wall, or approached financial ruin, for causes separate from the followers."
When asked if the regulator could force an chairman to relinquish a club if they are judged inappropriate, Kogan said: "If your question is 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the reply is once we collect the information and know what's going on, we will."
But Kogan stressed that forcing owners to sell clubs would be considered the final option and the oversight body would choose to collaborate with owners.
"The final option we would consider is start getting involved with an specific team, an specific proprietor, without being in a position to cooperate with that chairman to fix the issues that the club's facing and the proprietor's dealing with," the regulator explained.
"In actuality, when you review the record of football, over the past few decades there have been some owners, not many, 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."
Owls fans have been protesting against the team's chairman during the current campaign
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
The regulator engaged delegates from multiple organizations to lay out the remit of the regulator on Wednesday and stated it constituted a "proactive meeting" with a "substantial involvement" from the lower divisions to the top flight.
"This position carries substantial significance, because should mistakes occur, if the world of football gets it wrong, the significant advances achieved could disappear incredibly quickly," Kogan said.
"And that's what nobody wants in the terms of English football is a major achievement - we've got to keep it going.
"There's an enormous amount of money flowing into the game and has been channeled for the recent generations, because there are no assurances it will continue to come into football, which is one of the reasons why I think we have to adopt a precise perspective on potential dangers and naturally, of the next two or three years."
Elite Division Worries
Top flight officials resisted the establishment of an oversight body because of apprehensions regarding adverse consequences on the top-flight's competitiveness, but the chairman responded: "I'm absolutely committed to the success and growth as an financial organization of the Premier League.
"I of all people understand the concern of undermining the top flight as an elite competition of this country. But at the same time, if you engage with division representatives after this week's discussion, they would have had a significant degree of comfort -and, in fact, they have been telling us in private they have a significant confidence."
Partisan Associations
The chairman continues to confront a "full inquiry" by the public appointments commissioner after he disclosed making donations to the Labour Party in 2020.
The official donated money to Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the current Prime Minister.
"I have been entirely transparent regarding my past party membership [with Labour], and that ideological connection terminated the day the parliamentary committee confirmed my selection," the chairman stated.
"I currently have no participation in any sort of politics."
