The head of English football’s independent regulator says he will resign if he encounters any political interference over the future of Manchester City.
As chairman of the Independent Football Regulator (IFR), David Kogan has the power to assess the suitability of club owners and executives.
If an independent commission’s findings that the club broke Premier League financial rules are upheld, the watchdog would have to decide whether to force a sale.
Last month, Prime Minister Andy Burnham was criticised for saying he would be “really concerned” if Manchester City’s Abu Dhabi owners decided to sell the club.
When asked about Burnham’s comments, Kogan told BBC Sport: “The Prime Minister is entirely entitled to make his own observations on anything.
“We are independent. That is in the name. I am the chairman of the Independent Football Regulator, and independence absolutely runs through everything we’re doing.
“And no politician has tried to influence and would try to influence anything we do on that.”
When asked what he would do if he came under political pressure over the case, Kogan replied: “I would resign.”
An independent commission found that City had broken rules over a nine-year period between 2009 and 2018 by creating “sham” contracts with commercial partners to secretly funnel more than £830 million into their football operations. City insist they are innocent and have appealed.
The Prime Minister initially told the BBC of his concerns before later denying that his reaction had “downplayed the seriousness of the findings”.
However, some Premier League clubs were so “astonished” by Burnham’s stance that sources told BBC Sport they were “concerned” about political interference in the appeal process.
Burnham’s previous role as mayor of Greater Manchester has led to questions about his relationship with City’s Abu Dhabi ownership.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch demanded that all details of meetings between the Prime Minister and senior figures at the club be released. The government released the details on Monday.
“As far as we, as the regulator, are concerned, we have a very, very clear course of action that is governed by statute, and we are going to follow that course of action. No comment by any politician or indeed any individual is going to affect what we do,” Kogan said.
— BBC
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