Football regulator confirms it can force Manchester City sale

Independent Football Regulator chairman David Kogan has revealed the extent of his organization's authority over Manchester City following an appeal process. Speaking to The Rest Is Football podcast, Kogan stated that the watchdog possesses the power to compel Manchester City's owners to relinquish control if they are deemed unsuitable to own the club.

When asked if owners could simply refuse such a directive, Kogan made it clear that the regulator's powers were absolute: "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. No, no, no. We’ve got absolute power to do so."

The regulator's jurisdiction extends beyond sporting sanctions, focusing instead on the suitability of owners and senior figures. City are currently appealing the findings of an independent commission that concluded they committed 114 breaches of Premier League financial rules, including the use of "sham" commercial arrangements that inflated revenue or reduced costs by over £900 million across nine seasons. Despite these allegations, City have consistently denied any wrongdoing.

Kogan emphasized that the regulator will not pre-judge the outcome of the appeal process and will only intervene if there is sufficient evidence to demonstrate that the ownership is unsuitable. He stated that the regulator would evaluate the actions of individual owners and senior directors when making such a determination.

Under the Football Governance Act 2025, the Independent Football Regulator has the legal authority to remove an owner who is found to be unsuitable, require them to cease being an owner, and, if the conditions are met, issue an ownership removal order.