Football Regulator Vows 'Absolute Power' to Force Club Sale Amidst Financial Charges

The chair of the Independent Football Regulator (IFR) has asserted that the organization holds "absolute power" to force Manchester City's owners to sell the club if they are proven to have operated it improperly. This statement comes in the wake of the Premier League finding Manchester City guilty of a substantial number of financial wrongdoing charges, which the club has since appealed.

An independent commission determined that Manchester City had obscured payments totaling approximately £900 million over a nine-year period, utilizing "sham" deals. The club was accused of artificially inflating sponsorship agreements and channeling funds from its Abu Dhabi owners through disguised payments to circumvent Premier League spending regulations.

The IFR, established last year, is empowered by the 2025 Football Governance Act to remove club owners and revoke or suspend licenses if the offenses are deemed sufficiently serious. David Kogan, the chair of the IFR, confirmed in an interview with the "Rest is Football" podcast that the regulator has the authority to compel Manchester City's owner, Sheikh Mansour, to sell the club if deemed appropriate.

"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," Kogan stated, emphasizing that an owner cannot refuse this directive. He clarified that the IFR's role would involve assessing individuals against the Premier League's owners and directors' test.

Kogan cautioned against premature judgment, noting that Manchester City's appeal is ongoing and that several findings in the commission's 40-page document remain redacted. He pointed out that the sanctions have not yet been determined and that the unredacted findings, along with the evidence supporting them, could reveal further information. "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," Kogan said, describing any pre-emptive action as a "colossal mistake."

Kogan also reiterated his commitment to resign if any political interference occurs in the IFR's operations. He stated that he made this clear upon his appointment and stands by it. He confirmed that the regulator has faced "absolutely no political pressure whatsoever on this or any other topic."

Previously, Prime Minister Andy Burnham expressed concern over potentially losing Manchester City's Abu Dhabi owners from the Premier League. The government of the United Arab Emirates has reportedly warned the Prime Minister of potential withdrawal of billions of pounds in funding in response to the ruling.