September 14, (THEWILL) – UEFA has cautioned the UK government that England could face exclusion from Euro 2028, which they are set to co-host, if Prime Minister Keir Starmer proceeds with plans for an independent football regulator.
This warning came in a letter from UEFA General Secretary, Theodore Theodoridis, to Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy, as reported by British media on Saturday.
The letter, obtained by The Times and the BBC, emphasises UEFA’s concern about potential government interference in football management. Theodoridis stated that the sport’s independence is a “fundamental requirement” and warned against giving the new regulator oversight of England’s top five leagues.
Theodoridis wrote: “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.” He also expressed worry about the potential for “scope creep” within the Independent Football Regulator (IFR).
The UK government’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport responded, stating that the Football Governance Bill aims to establish a new Independent Football Regulator to address fundamental governance problems and ensure the sustainability of English football for the benefit of club communities.
England, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Scotland and Wales are scheduled to jointly host the 2028 European Championship. The UK government’s plans for a football regulator, first announced in 2023, were intended to protect clubs from financial mismanagement and prevent wealthy teams from joining breakaway leagues.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
