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Government playing down possibility of English clubs being banned from European competition or national team missing out in four years’ time
An independent football regulator would need to satisfy Uefa it will not have undue influence on football amid the threat of England losing the rights to host Euro 2028.
Proposals for a new regulator were brought forward by Sir Keir Starmer’s new Labour Government in the King’s Speech and there is concern at Uefa as to the scope of its powers.
A letter to Lisa Nandy, the culture secretary, said there should be “no government interference in the running of football”, but Telegraph Sport understands Uefa broadly supports the idea of a regulator and that the only contention is its scope.
The threat of Premier League clubs being expelled from European competition or jeopardy to England’s participation at Euro 2028 has been played down by government sources and counterparts at Uefa, with a source saying the letter from the government about plans for a regulator were largely positive.
Theodore Theodoridis, Uefa’s general secretary, has warned that the “ultimate sanction would be excluding the federation from Uefa and teams from competition”. It is understood that Nandy has not yet replied to Theodoridis’s letter but it is expected the Department for Culture, Media and Sport will respond and confirm that Uefa has not previously expressed concerns over a regulator and that the dialogue between all parties has been positive.
A spokesperson for the DCMS said: “The Football Governance Bill will establish a new Independent Football Regulator that will put fans back at the heart of the game, and tackle fundamental governance problems to ensure that English football is sustainable for the benefit of the clubs’ communities going forward.”
The UK and Ireland will jointly host Euro 2028 after the bid was formally approved in October 2023. Ten stadiums across the five nations will host the matches, with analysts projecting a £2.6 billion boost to the host nation economies on the back of the tournament. The bid was unopposed after Turkey withdrew to focus on a joint bid for the 2032 finals alongside Italy.
The Premier League has said it “looked forward” to working with Labour and that it is “critical that the regulation was proportionate and effective”.
The Football Supporters’ Association said: “We are confident there’s no risk to England’s participation in tournaments — for all the slightly lurid headlines, the BBC story points out that UEFA ‘did not expect it to reach that stage’ and DCMS officials believe there is ‘no risk’ of this happening.
“The regulator will be fully independent of the Government as it aims to strengthen financial sustainability, improve supporter engagement and prevent the participation of clubs in a breakaway European Super League.
“The Government liaised with the FA and UEFA during the creation of the Bill and will continue to do so — this issue was discussed in the last Parliament and the FA’s evidence did not suggest there would be any problem in complying with UEFA or FIFA rules.
“The Football Governance Bill has the FSA’s full support and we look forward to working with politicians on all sides of the house as it passes through Parliament.”
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