'Our role is integral to football's future' - independent football regulator the new chairman
The team's ongoing struggles constitute a "serious issue" and the football regulator is seeking powers to investigate clubs in similar circumstances, the recently named head the regulator has stated.
In a wide-ranging interview, Kogan, who was named to the position this week, voiced concern towards the club's followers.
The chairman convened with four supporters' associations associated with the football team this week.
The team have been struggling on and off the field in 2025, with the club missing wage payments on several different times, including in the autumn.
"Obviously the club has become a significant problem for EFL and a substantial concern for English football," the regulator explained.
"Wednesday stands as one of the historic institutions for football in England and in recent days we have met fan representatives.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will allow us to have the club and similar situations brought to our attention if they need to be investigated and addressed."
Monetary Issues and Leadership Concerns
Wednesday's embattled owner Dejphon Chansiri suggested earlier this year he would be prepared to relinquish control 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 caused limitations by the English Football League (EFL) in summer, preventing the club from carrying out any recruitment activities for the next three transfer windows, although those limitations were removed in late summer.
Regulator's Perspective
Kogan said: "Our role exists to serve the supporters of Wednesday, teams facing challenges where people are committed to a local institution that has represented their community in numerous instances.
"I fully appreciate Sheffield Wednesday, as I do for all the clubs that over recent decades have faced collapse, or approached financial ruin, for reasons that have nothing to do with the supporters."
Questioned about whether the oversight body could require an owner to sell a club if they are judged inappropriate, the regulator answered: "If your question is 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the reply is once we collect the information and understand the situation, we will."
But Kogan stressed that forcing owners to sell clubs would be treated as a "last resort" and the oversight body would choose to cooperate with proprietors.
"The final option we would consider is commence engagement with an specific team, an specific proprietor, without having the opportunity to collaborate with that proprietor to address the problems affecting the organization and the owner's facing," Kogan said.
"But the truth is, when you review the record of football, over the past few decades there have been particular chairmen, a small minority, but particular people who have shown negligence in the manner they have operated their teams and eventually refuse to accept accountability for the coming years."
Owls fans have been protesting against the team's chairman this season
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
The regulator engaged officials from numerous teams to explain the responsibilities of the oversight body this week and stated it constituted a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "high level of engagement" from the grassroots to elite level.
"The role holds considerable importance, because should mistakes occur, if the world of football gets it wrong, the significant advances achieved might evaporate incredibly quickly," the regulator warned.
"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the realm of domestic football is a huge success story - we need to continue the progress.
"Considerable investment entering the sport and has been channeled for the past two decades, because certainty is lacking it will continue to come into football, which is one of the reasons why I think we have to take a really clear view on challenges and obviously, of the immediate future."
Top Flight Apprehensions
The Premier League opposed the establishment of an oversight body because of concerns about detrimental effects on the top-flight's competitiveness, but the regulator stated: "I'm absolutely committed to the success and growth as an commercial operation of the elite league.
"I of all people understand the apprehension regarding damaging the top flight as an elite competition of the nation. But at the same time, if you engage with division representatives after the recent gathering, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, indeed, they have been telling us in private they have a high level of reassurance."
Political Connections
The chairman continues to confront a "comprehensive investigation" by the Commissioner for Public Appointments after he disclosed making donations to the opposition group in recent years.
The chairman provided financial support for Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport the politician's campaign, along with that of the current Prime Minister.
"I've been completely open about my former ideological connection [with Labour], and that ideological connection terminated the day the parliamentary committee confirmed my selection," the chairman stated.
"I am no longer involved in any sort of politics."
