The chairman of England's Independent Football Regulator (IFR), David Kogan, has stated he will resign rather than allow political influence to shape any decisions regarding Manchester City's ongoing disciplinary case.

Kogan made the declaration after Prime Minister Andy Burnham attracted criticism last month for saying he would be "really concerned" if Manchester City's Abu Dhabi ownership chose to sell the club. Some Premier League clubs were reportedly "astonished" by Burnham's stance, with sources telling BBC Sport they feared political interference in the appeal process.

Kogan's unambiguous stance

When asked directly what he would do if subjected to political pressure over the case, Kogan left no room for doubt: "I would resign."

He was equally clear about the regulator's independence: "We are independent. That is in the name. I am the chairman of the Independent Football Regulator and independence absolutely runs through everything we're doing. No politician has tried to influence and would try to influence anything we do on that."

Kogan also stressed that no external commentary would alter the regulator's course: "No comment by any politician or indeed any individual is going to affect what we do. Process is going to drive what we do. Process will lead us to a conclusion."

What the case involves

An independent commission found Manchester City guilty of breaking Premier League financial rules across a nine-year period between 2009 and 2018. The panel determined the club had created "sham" contracts with commercial partners to secretly channel more than £830 million into their football operations. City deny wrongdoing and have lodged an appeal.

A separate sanctions hearing — which could take months to convene — will determine the club's punishment. That punishment could range from a substantial fine or a points deduction to expulsion from the Premier League, or even being stripped of the eight trophies won during the affected period. City retain the right to appeal both the verdicts and any sanction imposed.

The commission's 42-day hearing in 2024 also concluded that "a number of important club witnesses gave false evidence in key respects and that some knowingly gave untrue and dishonest evidence."

The IFR's role

As chairman of the IFR, Kogan holds statutory powers to examine the suitability of club owners, directors, and senior executives. Should Manchester City's appeal fail, the regulator would need to consider whether to compel a sale of the club.

Kogan acknowledged the gravity of the situation, describing the case as "raising very serious issues" if City are ultimately found guilty on appeal. "We are waiting like everybody else to see what the independent panel will do," he said, "and then we will bring in a view in terms of our own investigation and statutory powers if we need to do so."

For now, the regulator has indicated it cannot act until the appeal process reaches a conclusion. "We don't know the outcome of any appeal," Kogan said, "and once we do then we will act accordingly."