'We are going to be a part of football's future' - newly appointed regulator the new chairman
The Championship club's persistent issues are seen as a "serious issue" and the football regulator is aiming to acquire authority to investigate clubs in comparable cases, the newly appointed chairman the official has declared.
In a wide-ranging interview, Kogan, who was appointed on Monday, expressed "sympathy" towards Wednesday's fanbase.
The regulator engaged with four supporter groups connected to the Championship side this week.
The team have been struggling on and off the field in this season, with the club delaying salary disbursements on multiple instances, including in the autumn.
"Obviously the club has become a major concern for the league and a significant problem for football," the regulator explained.
"Wednesday stands as one of the iconic names for English football and this week we have met Sheffield Wednesday supporters' groups.
"We are seeking authority... which will enable us to take the club and similar situations submitted for our review if they warrant scrutiny and acted upon."
Financial Struggles and Leadership Concerns
Wednesday's embattled owner the Thai businessman stated during the off-season he would be willing to sell up at the stadium, but he has not been able to secure a deal with potential new owners.
Delayed salary payments on time in March and May led to sanctions by the league officials in summer, preventing the club from carrying out any player acquisitions for the following recruitment periods, although that restriction was lifted in late summer.
Official's Viewpoint
Kogan said: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, teams facing challenges where people are committed to a community organization that has been part of their lives in many cases.
"I fully appreciate the club's situation, as I do for all the clubs that over recent decades have faced collapse, or been close to going to the wall, for reasons that have nothing to do with the fans themselves."
Inquired if the oversight body could require an owner to sell a club if they are judged inappropriate, Kogan said: "If your question is 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is once we collect the information and know what's going on, we will."
But Kogan stressed that forcing owners to sell clubs would be treated as a "last resort" and the regulator would prefer to cooperate with proprietors.
"The final option we would consider is start getting involved with an specific team, an specific proprietor, without being in a position to cooperate with that chairman to fix the issues that the club's facing and the owner's facing," the chairman stated.
"In actuality, when you examine the past of football, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been certain proprietors, a small minority, but certain individuals who have acted carelessly in the way which they've been managing their teams and eventually don't wish to take responsibility for the future."
Wednesday followers have been voicing opposition to the team's chairman in recent months
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
The regulator engaged officials from numerous teams to detail the scope of the authority recently and maintained it represented a "proactive meeting" with a "significant participation" from the lower divisions to the top flight.
"It's a job that's actually really important, because should mistakes occur, if the sport makes errors, the remarkable development accomplished could disappear swiftly," the chairman stated.
"This represents everyone's worst fear in the realm of domestic football is a major achievement - we need to continue the progress.
"Considerable investment entering the sport and has been channeled for the past two decades, because certainty is lacking it will continue to come into football, which is among the factors explaining I think we have to adopt a precise perspective on risk and of course, of the immediate future."
Top Flight Apprehensions
Top flight officials resisted the formation of an authority because of apprehensions regarding adverse consequences on the elite division's competitive balance, but the chairman responded: "I completely endorse the achievement and development as an economic entity of the elite league.
"Being fully aware of the apprehension regarding damaging the top flight as an elite competition of this country. But simultaneously, if you engage with division representatives after the recent gathering, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, in fact, they have been informing us confidentially they have a high level of reassurance."
Ideological Links
The regulator remains subject to a "comprehensive investigation" by the Commissioner for Public Appointments after he revealed he contributed money to the Labour Party in the past.
The chairman contributed funds to Culture Secretary the minister's leadership bid, along with that of the current Prime Minister.
"I have been entirely transparent regarding my past party membership [with Labour], and that political affiliation came to an end the day the select committee approved my appointment," Kogan said.
"I currently have no participation in any sort of politics."
