England regulator: no evidence to force Sheikh Mansour to sell Manchester City
David Kogan says the regulator has "absolute powers" but a compelled sale would require evidence of personal responsibility, not just club breaches.
On 22 October 2026 the chairman of England's Independent Football Regulator warned that, while the body can in theory force an owner out, there is at present no clear evidence tying Sheikh Mansour personally to the alleged breaches that could trigger a compulsory sale of Manchester City.
Regulator's powers and the evidentiary hurdle
David Kogan told reporters the regulator possesses "absolute powers" to require an owner to relinquish a club if it concludes the club is being run improperly. He added, however, that the regulator will not make any determinations until the ongoing appeals process has concluded.
For the regulator to demand a sale, it must show personal responsibility on the part of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan rather than proving only that the club breached rules. Legal analysts say that is a difficult burden because the current allegations are framed against Manchester City as an institution.
Given that evidentiary challenge, observers consider more likely outcomes to be sanctions aimed at the club itself or disciplinary measures targeting individual executives rather than the unprecedented step of forcing a sale of the entire club.
Manchester City therefore remains under threat of punishment stemming from the financial breaches, but any move to remove ownership would depend on new, owner-specific proof emerging during or after the appeals process.
Photo: press material from the event
