The Independent Football Regulator (IFR) has asserted its authority, stating it possesses “absolute power” to compel the sale of Manchester City if the club is ultimately found guilty of improper conduct. This revelation follows an independent commission's ruling that Manchester City circumvented Premier League regulations by establishing “sham” commercial arrangements, inflating revenues or reducing costs by over £900m across a nine-season span.

The commission also revealed that the club attempted to “stop and frustrate” the Premier League’s investigation into these arrangements. In response, Manchester City has filed an appeal, arguing that the verdict “contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact, and is unsafe.”

David Kogan, chair of the IFR, addressed these developments on the podcast The Rest Is Football, emphasizing that it is too early to discuss potential actions while the appeal remains active. However, he confirmed the IFR’s authority, stating:

• “We have the power to ask an owner to step away from a club if we believe that they run a club in a way that is neither fit, fair or done with propriety.”
• When asked if an owner could refuse to divest, he firmly stated: “No, no, no. We’ve got absolute power to do so.”

Kogan also refrained from jumping to conclusions regarding a possible investigation into Manchester City, highlighting the necessity of thoroughly addressing all questions before deciding on any further action, cautioning that “pre-empting that would be a colossal mistake.”