Independent Football Regulator Warns Manchester City Over Ownership Powers

The Independent Football Regulator has issued a warning about its powers to intervene in football club ownership, with chair David Kogan stating that the organisation can ask owners to step away if they fail to meet the required standards.

Manchester City are at the centre of renewed discussion amid their unresolved legal dispute with the Premier League over alleged financial misconduct. The club faces 115 charges relating to alleged breaches of financial rules, which Manchester City have consistently contested.

Kogan reportedly explained that the regulator has the authority to act where an owner’s conduct raises concerns about whether they are suitable to run a football club.

“We have the power to ask an owner to step away if we believe they run a club in a way that is neither fit, fair or done with propriety,” Kogan said, according to The Mirror.

The regulator’s comments do not mean Manchester City have already been ordered to sell the club. Kogan stressed that it would be premature to decide on further action while the club’s appeal remains unresolved. If the findings are upheld, the regulator could consider a separate investigation into the conduct of the club’s ownership.

The case has attracted significant attention because of the possible consequences for one of English football’s most successful clubs in recent years. However, any decision must follow the relevant legal and regulatory procedures.

Potential sporting sanctions, including points deductions or expulsion, would be separate from the regulator’s powers over ownership. The final outcome will depend on the appeal and any subsequent proceedings.

What sanction would be appropriate if the findings are upheld? That remains a matter for the relevant authorities to determine based on the evidence and applicable rules.

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