Rashi Mehta
If a new rule is seen to be “Government interference” in the sport, England and English football teams may be kicked out of UEFA competitions. The governing body of European football expressed reservations about a potential independent football regulator (IFR) in English football in a letter to Lisa Nandy, the U.K.’s new culture minister. The rules will protect clubs’ financial stability and prevent teams from entering independent leagues such as the European Super League.
UEFA warns England and English Club
According to UEFA regulations, governments are not allowed to meddle in football matches. UEFA general secretary Theodore Theodoridis wrote in a letter that was seen by The Associated Press, “We have specific rules that guard against this in order to guarantee the autonomy of sport and fairness of sporting competition; the ultimate sanction for which would be excluding the federation from UEFA and teams from competition.”
England is co-hosting the competition in 2028. England finished second in the previous two European Championships. The England team would not be allowed to play in the Euros if UEFA carried out its final sanction of barring the English Football Association from participation. It might also imply that Premier League teams will not be allowed to participate in the Champions League or other tournaments.
The Football Governance Bill
The Football Governance Bill, proposed by the UK government, would grant independent regulatory authority to protect clubs’ long-term viability. It contains more stringent requirements for club ownership and management. “Normally, football regulation should be managed by the national federation,” UEFA stated in its letter.
It expressed alarm about what it referred to as a regulator’s “scope creep” into domains unrelated to “the long-term financial sustainability of clubs and heritage assets.” UEFA claimed that its capacity to maintain efficient governance throughout Europe would be hampered if all nations established regulators with broad jurisdiction. It demands that the regulator in England be “strictly limited” to the long-term financial viability of sports teams and historical properties.
According to a spokesman for the U.K. government, “The Football Governance Bill will establish a new Independent Football Regulator that will tackle fundamental governance problems to ensure that English football is sustainable for the benefit of the clubs’ communities going forward and put fans back at the heart of the game.”
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