England and English football teams could be banned from UEFA competitions if the new regulator is deemed to be “government interference” in sport.
In a letter sent by UEFA to UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, European football's governing body expressed concerns over the proposal for an Independent Football Regulator (IFR) in English football. The regulatory body would ensure the financial sustainability of clubs and prevent teams from joining independent competitions such as the European Super League.
UEFA regulations state that there should be no government interference in the running of football.
“We have specific rules preventing this to ensure the autonomy of the sport and the fairness of the sporting competition; the maximum sanction for this would be to exclude the UEFA federation and the teams from the competition,” UEFA general secretary Theodore Theodoridis wrote in his letter, which was seen by The Associated Press.
England, who have finished runners-up at the last two European Championships, will co-host the 2028 edition of the tournament.
If UEFA were to impose its maximum sanction of banning the English Football Association, the English national team would be banned from the European Championship. It could also mean Premier League clubs would be banned from the Champions League and other competitions.
The UK government's football governance bill would give an independent regulator powers to safeguard the future of clubs. It includes tougher tests on who can run or own clubs.
In the letter, UEFA states: “Normally, football regulation should be managed by the national federation.”
He said he was concerned by what he described as a “broadening of scope” by a regulator into areas beyond “the long-term financial sustainability of clubs and heritage assets”.
UEFA said that if all countries set up regulators with wide-ranging powers, it would hamper its ability to maintain effective governance across Europe. It wants England's regulator to be strictly limited to the long-term financial sustainability of clubs and property assets.
A UK government spokesperson said: “The Football Governance Bill will establish a new Independent Football Regulator that will put fans back at the heart of the game and address fundamental governance issues to ensure English football is sustainable for the benefit of club communities in the future.”
