The update says City’s current guilty verdict would not, by itself, prevent the club from securing an operating licence. That distinction is crucial: an unresolved appeal leaves the regulator with limited grounds to treat the findings as final.
The Independent Football Regulator is expected to begin issuing licences from November. Its remit includes assessing whether owners are suitable and whether clubs meet wider governance standards.
For now, City’s route to a licence appears open. If the verdict is upheld, however, Kogan’s comments indicate it would become a major factor in the regulator’s assessment.
The report says an independent panel found widespread breaches of Premier League financial rules, including allegedly misleading information between 2009 and 2018 and revenue said to have been artificially inflated by more than $1bn.
Those findings remain subject to the appeal process. If they stand, potential Premier League consequences could include a substantial fine, a points deduction or even expulsion from the top flight.
That makes the appeal more than a legal dispute. It could shape City’s sporting future, commercial standing and relationship with English football’s regulators.
Kogan also issued a firm warning about political pressure: “Any form of political interference on the way we operate is going to result in my resigning from this role,” he said.
The report says Andy Burnham described himself as “really concerned” about the possibility of City losing their present ownership, adding a political dimension to an already sensitive case.
The next decisive storyline will be the appeal’s conclusion and how quickly it arrives. Until then, City’s licence remains a live question rather than an immediate sanction.