England 'face being banned from home Euros' if Starmer presses ahead with football regulator, UEFA warns
14 September 2024, 20:53 | Updated: 15 September 2024, 09:46
England could be banned from playing at its home Euros in 2028 if Sir Keir Starmer continues with plans for a football regulator, UEFA has warned.
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Theodore Theodoridis, general secretary of the European football body, has written to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy saying that there should be "no government interference in the running of football", according to the Sunday Times.
A leaked copy of the letter said that the plans cautioned against the plans which were launched by Boris Johnson in the wake of the botched launch of the European Super League in 2021.
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Theodoridis took umbrage with the proposed powers that would grant the regulator the power to force club owners to make decisions based on the UK's "trade and foreign policy objectives".
He also singled out ideas in the King's Speech that could allow the regulator to override club decisions on TV revenue.
We have specific rules that guard against [state meddling] in order to guarantee the autonomy of sport and fairness of sporting competitions; the ultimate sanction for which would be excluding the federation from UEFA and teams from competition.
Exclusion would result in the England men's national team from being unable to participate in Euro 2028 - which is being hosted by the UK and Ireland.
It could also see teams such as Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City from participating in the mega-lucrative UEFA Champions League.
The idea for the football regulator was launched after six English clubs threatened to break away to form a European Super League to rival the Champions League.
The row exploded - with fans widely opposed to the idea and the UK Government and FA threatening to expel the clubs from the Premier League.
The clubs were Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham and Arsenal.
