Kogan vows to quit over political interference in Manchester City case

David Kogan, chairman of the Independent Football Regulator, has said he would resign if politicians tried to influence its handling of Manchester City's case. Speaking to BBC Sport, he said no politician had attempted to interfere and insisted the watchdog's decisions would be driven by its statutory process rather than outside comments.

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City have appealed after an independent commission found they breached Premier League financial rules over the period from 2009 to 2018. The club maintains its innocence. Kogan told the BBC the regulator could not reach a conclusion before knowing the appeal outcome, after which it would consider whether its own investigation and powers were needed.

The regulator can assess club owners, directors and senior executives. That leaves a separate question about their suitability to run a club, alongside the sporting case. According to the BBC, the commission must also hold a sanctions hearing, and City can appeal both the findings and any punishment imposed.

The comments came as the regulator published its State of the Game report. Sky Sports reported that English football generates more than £9bn in revenue, yet 94% of clubs are making losses. The report linked financial vulnerability to debt, spending in pursuit of competitive success and dependence on continued support from owners, despite strong international interest and investment in the game.

More than a quarter of clubs could not survive beyond a month if that funding stopped, according to Sky's account of the findings. Most lacked basic contingency plans. The report's proposed remedies include larger cash reserves, better preparation for losing owner support and changes to how revenue is distributed between different levels of the pyramid.

Kogan told Sky that club licensing would begin in November, allowing direct intervention where financial weaknesses were identified. He also pointed to talks between the Premier League and EFL over a distribution agreement and work on longer-term cost controls. A deal between the leagues remains the regulator's preferred route, but it has reiterated that it can intervene if they cannot agree.