'Our role is integral to football's future' - football oversight chief the new chairman
The Championship club's persistent issues represent a a "serious issue" and the football regulator is looking to gain the ability to investigate clubs in comparable cases, the recently named head the regulator has declared.
In a wide-ranging interview, Kogan, who was appointed on Monday, voiced concern towards supporters of the Owls.
Kogan met with four supporter groups connected to the South Yorkshire club this week.
The Championship side have been facing challenges both on and off the pitch in 2025, with the club failing to pay players on time on several different times, including in the autumn.
"Evidently Wednesday represents a serious issue for football authorities and a major challenge for the sport," Kogan told.
"Sheffield Wednesday is one of the historic institutions for football in England and recently we have met fan representatives.
"We are seeking authority... which will enable us to take Wednesday and comparable cases brought to our attention if they warrant scrutiny and addressed."
Monetary Issues and Ownership Situation
Wednesday's embattled owner the current owner suggested earlier this year he would be willing to sell up at their home ground, but he has not been able to secure a deal with potential new owners.
Failure to pay player wages on time in March and May led to sanctions by the football authorities in mid-year, stopping Wednesday from completing any transfers or loans for the subsequent signing windows, although that restriction was lifted in August.
Official's Viewpoint
The chairman stated: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the Owls followers, teams facing challenges where people are committed to a regional establishment that has existed throughout their lifetimes in multiple situations.
"I have absolute sympathy for the team's plight, as I do for all the clubs that in modern times have encountered failure, or approached financial ruin, for causes separate from the followers."
When asked if the authority might compel an proprietor to divest a club if they are judged inappropriate, the regulator answered: "If your question is 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the answer is once we assemble the facts and know what's going on, we will."
But the regulator clarified that requiring chairmen to relinquish clubs would be considered the final option and the oversight body would choose to collaborate with owners.
"The final option we would consider is commence engagement with an particular organization, an individual owner, without having the opportunity to collaborate with that proprietor to address the challenges confronting the team and the proprietor's dealing with," Kogan said.
"But the truth is, when you examine the past of the sport, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been certain proprietors, few in number, but certain individuals who have acted carelessly in the way which they've been managing their clubs and ultimately don't wish to take responsibility for the future."
Wednesday followers have been demonstrating against the team's chairman in recent months
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
The regulator engaged officials from numerous teams to lay out the remit of the authority recently and maintained it represented a "progressive gathering" with a "substantial involvement" from the lower divisions to the top flight.
"The role holds considerable importance, because if errors are made, if the sport makes errors, the remarkable development accomplished could disappear incredibly quickly," the chairman stated.
"This represents everyone's worst fear in the realm of domestic football is a huge success story - we've got to keep it going.
"Considerable investment coming into football and has come into football for the recent generations, because certainty is lacking it will continue to come into football, which is part of the rationale behind I think we have to take a really clear view on challenges and obviously, of the immediate future."
Top Flight Apprehensions
Top flight officials resisted the creation of a regulator because of concerns about detrimental effects on the Premier League's sporting equality, but the chairman responded: "I completely endorse the prosperity and expansion as an financial organization of the Premier League.
"Being fully aware of the worry about compromising the top flight as an elite competition of the nation. But simultaneously, if you consult with top flight officials after this week's discussion, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, actually, they have been advising us privately they have a significant confidence."
Ideological Links
Kogan is still facing a "thorough examination" by the public appointments commissioner after he acknowledged providing funds to the political party in 2020.
The 68-year-old provided financial support for Culture Secretary the minister's leadership bid, along with that of the now Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
"I have been entirely transparent regarding my former ideological connection [with Labour], and that political affiliation came to an end the day the select committee approved my appointment," the chairman stated.
"I am no longer involved in any form of political activity."
