Football Regulator Boss Says He'd Quit Over Political Pressure in Man City Case

The man in charge of English football's new watchdog says he would walk away rather than let politicians decide Manchester City's fate.

David Kogan, chairman of the Independent Football Regulator (IFR), told BBC Sport he would resign if he came under political pressure over the City case, adding that no politician has tried to influence anything the regulator does BBC Sport.

It is a short sentence with big weight. The regulator will have a direct say in what happens next to the Premier League champions.

The IFR is the new body set up to protect the long-term health of English football and act for fans and local communities. It has the power to test the suitability of club owners and senior executives. Kogan said that if the guilty findings against City are upheld on appeal, his organisation would have to decide whether to force a sale of the club.

That decision sits at the end of a long and bitter legal fight. An independent commission, a tribunal set up to hear the league's charges, found City broke Premier League financial rules over a nine-year period between 2009 and 2018.

The detail is stark. The commission found the club used sham contracts with commercial partners to secretly funnel more than £830m into football operations. In total, City were found guilty of all but one of 115 alleged breaches. Another account of the verdict said the panel concluded City "clearly intended to circumvent Premier League rules" by inflating revenue and hiding costs ESPN.

City insist they are innocent and have appealed. Kogan has previously said the verdict raises serious issues for the game.

Politics entered the story when Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he would be really concerned if City's Abu Dhabi owners decided to sell up. Premier League clubs are reported to be "concerned" about political interference in the appeal process after those comments. Burnham has since said he would publish details of his dealings with City Reuters.

For supporters picking up this story cold, this is what matters. City's titles were won on the pitch and celebrated in the streets. The argument now is off it, about money, rules and who gets to own a club.

Kogan's message was simple. The regulator answers to fans, not to Westminster. If that changes, he goes.