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Sheffield Wednesday's persistent issues represent a a "significant problem" and the independent regulator is aiming to acquire authority to investigate clubs in comparable cases, its new chair the official has declared.

In a wide-ranging interview, the chairman, who was appointed on Monday, expressed "sympathy" towards supporters of the Owls.

Kogan met with four supporters' associations representing the South Yorkshire club in recent days.

The team have been experiencing difficulties in multiple areas in this season, with the club missing wage payments on multiple instances, including in September.

"Clearly Sheffield Wednesday has been a serious issue for football authorities and a significant problem for football," the chairman stated.

"Sheffield Wednesday is one of the great brands for English football and this week we have met Sheffield Wednesday supporters' groups.

"We are seeking authority... which will enable us to take Wednesday and comparable cases referred to us if they warrant scrutiny and addressed."

Financial Struggles and Leadership Concerns

The team's struggling chairman the Thai businessman stated during the off-season he would be open to selling the club at their home ground, but he has failed to complete a sale with interested parties.

Missed wage deadlines on time in March and May led to sanctions by the English Football League (EFL) in mid-year, blocking the team from conducting any player acquisitions for the following recruitment periods, although those limitations were removed in the end of the transfer window.

Official's Viewpoint

Kogan said: "Our role exists to serve the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, Bury or any football club where people are committed to a local institution that has been part of their lives in many cases.

"I have absolute sympathy for the team's plight, as I do for every team that in modern times have encountered failure, or nearly ceased operations, for reasons that have nothing to do with the followers."

When asked if the authority might compel an chairman to relinquish a club if they are judged inappropriate, the regulator answered: "Should the inquiry concern 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the reply is once we assemble the facts and comprehend the circumstances, we will."

But Kogan stressed that forcing owners to sell clubs would be considered the final option and the authority would rather to cooperate with proprietors.

"The final option we would consider is begin intervening in an specific team, an particular chairman, without having the opportunity to collaborate with that proprietor to address the issues that the club's facing and the proprietor's dealing with," the regulator explained.

"In actuality, when you look back over the history of football, over the last 20 or 30 years there have been particular chairmen, a small minority, but particular people who have shown negligence in the way which they've been managing their organizations and finally refuse to accept accountability for the coming years."

'Mistakes could erase significant advances'

The chairman convened with delegates from multiple organizations to detail the scope of the oversight body this week and insisted it was a "forward-thinking discussion" with a "high level of engagement" from the grassroots to elite level.

"This position carries substantial significance, because if we get it wrong, if the football community fails, the significant advances achieved could disappear incredibly quickly," the chairman stated.

"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the context of the English game is a substantial accomplishment - we need to continue the progress.

"There's an enormous amount of money entering the sport and has been channeled for the recent generations, because there's no guarantee it will keep flowing into the sport, which is among the factors explaining I think we have to adopt a precise perspective on challenges and obviously, of the coming seasons."

Elite Division Worries

The Premier League opposed the formation of an authority because of apprehensions regarding adverse consequences on the elite division's competitive balance, but Kogan said: "I'm absolutely committed to the achievement and development as an commercial operation of the elite league.

"As someone who appreciates the apprehension regarding damaging the division as a high-quality offering of the nation. But concurrently, if you engage with division representatives after today's meeting, they would have had a high level of reassurance -and, indeed, they have been advising us privately they have a considerable comfort."

Ideological Links

Kogan is still facing a "comprehensive investigation" by the Commissioner for Public Appointments after he acknowledged providing funds to the opposition group in 2020.

The official contributed funds to Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport the minister's leadership bid, along with that of the current Prime Minister.

"I have fully disclosed my past party membership [with Labour], and that political affiliation came to an end the day the parliamentary committee confirmed my selection," the chairman stated.

"I currently have no participation in any type of partisan engagement."