Independent Football Regulator can force club owners to sell

David Kogan, chair of England's new Independent Football Regulator, said the body can ask club owners it deems unsuitable to leave their role. Kogan spoke on The Rest Is Football programme.

Kogan said that if they believe an owner is not running a club in a suitable, fair and proper manner, they have the power to ask that owner to step away from the club. When Alastair Campbell, one of the programme's hosts, asked whether the owner could contest this, Kogan replied: "No, no, no. We have absolute power to do that."

Established in July 2025, the regulator is tasked with protecting the financial sustainability of English football. It can examine club owners and executives, and it can step in when clubs come under financial risk.

The issue is in the spotlight because of Manchester City's appeal against the ruling on 114 alleged breaches of the Premier League's financial rules. Kogan said they will not reach a judgment until the appeal process concludes, and will then decide whether to open a separate investigation.

Kogan also stressed that the regulator operates differently from the Premier League. The body cannot impose sanctions such as fines or points deductions on clubs, and instead assesses the actions of owners and senior executives. Kogan also said that, under the legislation that established the regulator, a state-backed takeover cannot be automatically blocked.