David Kogan says the regulator can make an owner step away but he will not be pushed into a judgement on City
David KoganChair of the Independent Football Regulator, on The Rest Is Football podcast
On The Rest Is Football podcast, the regulator's chair said he would not be pushed into any judgement until the questions in the case are answered, calling a prejudgement a colossal mistake. He said the regulator has the power to ask an owner to step away from a club it believes is not run fitly, fairly or with propriety.
Responding to
Gary Neville said in a Sky Sports article published on October 3, 2026 that "It's hard to see how the Man City owners can comply with the owners' and directors' test in this country if the verdict remains" and that the only appropriate punishment is "to apply the owners' and directors' test, firstly".
“I am not going to get pushed into making any judgement on this until we've seen all of those questions being answered, and then we will have to decide whether we're going to mount our own investigation and come to a conclusion on that and what we're going to do. And pre-empting that would be a colossal mistake. ... We have the power to ask an owner to step away from a club if we believe that they run a club in a way that is neither fit, fair or done with propriety”
Reporting
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Regulator says it can force Manchester City's Abu Dhabi owners to sell if it finds them unfit; Carragher says they must sell up, and Burnham says he would be concerned to lose them
On September 29, 2026, the Premier League published an independent commission's finding that Manchester City arranged sponsorship contracts it described as shams to disguise funding from its owner between the 2009/10 and 2017/18 seasons. City denies wrongdoing and has appealed. The findings opened a second argument, over whether the club's Abu Dhabi owners, led by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, should keep the club if the findings stand. Jamie Carragher wrote that the owners must sell up, and Gary Neville said it was hard to see how they could pass the owners' and directors' test. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he would be really concerned to lose them. The Independent Football Regulator, which can judge whether owners are suitable, says it can require an owner to step away but will not make a judgement while the appeal is pending.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
GB News report quoting David Kogan, chair of the Independent Football Regulator, on The Rest Is Football podcast about the regulator's powers over club owners and the Manchester City case.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Reporting
About this source
AFP report, carried by Malay Mail, quoting Kogan's remarks on The Rest Is Football podcast that the regulator can ask an owner to step away from a club.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
GB News says Kogan explained it was too early to discuss any action by the regulator. City had appealed against the commission's decision and continues to deny wrongdoing.
After the quotation
Asked whether an owner could refuse to sell, Kogan said they could not. He said the regulator would judge the individuals involved against the tests for owners, senior directors and executives, rather than take action against the club as the Premier League can.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Kogan describes the regulator's power to remove an owner but refuses to make any judgement on City's owners until the questions in the case are answered. We labeled it Explicitly stayed out.
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More from this case
Read the full caseLisa Nandy says owners are custodians and the regulator can act, but "We're not there yet"
“I want to be crystal clear that, whilst we are really grateful to investors who come from all over the world to invest in our clubs and help to ensure their viability and their success, they are custodians, both of their clubs and of the game ... They have a responsibility to play by the rules and uphold the rules. ... We’re not there yet. It's absolutely right that Manchester City get the right to defend themselves and they do strongly refute the allegations. But in the event that they do not believe that a club is in safe hands, we’ve fought tooth and nail to give the Independent Regulator the power.”Read statement
Gary Neville says it is hard to see how City's owners could pass the owners' and directors' test if the verdict stands
“It’s hard to see how the Man City owners can comply with the owners’ and directors’ test in this country if the verdict remains. The reality is, because of improper owners of clubs, there are a lot stricter rules in place. It’ll be difficult for the Man City owners to retain their status. Clubs are protected assets, community assets, because of the meaning of them to fans and people of a city, so owners have to comply with the rules and laws set out in the test. The only appropriate punishment is to apply the owners’ and directors’ test, firstly, and then to look at the achievements over the period and determine whether they should still stand.”Read statement
Louie French calls Burnham's backing of Manchester City's owners "frankly extraordinary"
“Andy Burnham’s intervention in support of Manchester City’s owners is frankly extraordinary. The club face unprecedented allegations and fans are horrified by what they are reading in the papers, yet Burnham is publicly backing the owners even as the investigation continues.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "David Kogan says the regulator can make an owner step away but he will not be pushed into a judgement on City". First published: 2026-11-15. Last updated: 2026-11-15. https://disputeindex.com/events/9036-on-the-rest-is-football-podcast-the-regulator