England could be banned from competing at their own Euros if Sir Keir Starmer pushes ahead with plans to create a men’s football regulator, Uefa has warned.
A leaked copy of a letter from Uefa’s general secretary, Theodore Theodoridis to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, has warned against any ‘government interference in the running of football’.
According to a source, the letter lays out the huge ramifications on not only the national side but the potential impact on top Premier League teams like Manchester City and Liverpool participating in the Champions League.
Europe’s football governing body is said to be ‘watching closely’ and will step in if ‘a line is crossed’ that could see England being thrown out of Uefa.
That in turn would put any hopes in tatters of England playing in the next World Cup as Uefa administers the qualifiers for the tournament.
Labour has committed to implementing plans unveiled by the previous government for legislation to prevent top clubs forming breakaway leagues and curb financial mismanagement.
Harry Kane playing for England. England faces being banned from hosting Euro 2028 if Sir Keir Starmer pushes ahead with his plans for a men’s football regulator, Uefa has warned
Sir Keir Starmer has committed to new rules preventing financial mismanagement of clubs and the forming of breakaway leagues
The UK and Republic of Ireland are co-hosting Euro 2028, with the semi-finals and final expected to be played at Wembley
New laws would allow a newly created watchdog to oversee clubs in the top five divisions of English football.
The source, who is familiar with Uefa’s approach, told The Times: ‘The letter is clear that Uefa is watching closely, especially in relation to the FA’s role, and is more than prepared to intervene given their concern this may be the thin end of the wedge.’
In his letter to Ms Nandy, Mr Theodiridis sounded a warning that any state meddling could see England being handed the ‘ultimate sanction’ of being excluded from Uefa.
If that were to happen then England would be banned from competing at Euro 2028, a tournament which the UK and Republic of Ireland are co-hosting.
It would mean the likes of Bakayo Saka, Phil Foden, and Jude Bellingham would not be able to play at a tournament England last hosted in 1996, with Wembley expected to be the chosen venue for the semi-finals and final.
The Uefa chief pointed to potential rules requiring club owners to align with the UK’s ‘trade and foreign policy objectives’ as state overreach.
The new rules could see teams banned from scheduling friendly matches in certain hostile countries or attracting funding from overseas investors.
Uefa also expressed concerns that any potential new regulator could interfere with its own powers.
Mr Theodoridis wrote: ‘We have specific rules that guard against [state meddling] 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.’
According to a source, the letter lays out the huge ramifications on not only the national side but the potential impact on top Premier League teams like Manchester City and Liverpool participating in the Champions League
Manchester City’s Ilkay Gundogan lifts the Champions League trophy after they beat Inter Milan 1-0 in the 2023 final
Lionel Messi lifts the World Cup trophy aloft after Argentina beat France in 2024 final. England’s hopes of playing in the next World Cup could be in tatters if they are thrown out of Uefa as the governing body administers the qualifiers for the tournament
Uefa’s general secretary Theodore Theodoridis said it was a ‘fundamental requirement’ that the game remains free of governmental interference
In a letter to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, Mr Theodoridis warned that planned UK reforms could amount to state overreach
England’s participation in major football competitions, including the Euros and the Champions League, is contingent on its Uefa membership.
The national team’s route to the World Cup is also through Uefa-administered qualifiers or the Nations League, which is also managed by the federation.
Any ban from that tournament seems less straightforward, though, with qualification set to start in the spring.
A source familiar with Uefa said that England’s participation in and hosting of the Euros could be affected if a ‘line is crossed’ which threatens relations between football bodies.
It added that Mr Theodoridis’s letter was evidence that Uefa is concerned that the new reforms would be just the start of more government interference in the game, and that the measures announcement would be merely ‘the thin end of the wedge’.
A DCMS spokeswoman told The Times: ‘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.’
Uefa’s warnings come after the Premier League itself ran an advertising campaign highlighting the risks of introducing an independent regulator.
Without Uefa membership, England cannot play in major competitions including the Euros and English clubs would not qualify for the Champions League
The advert in April read: ‘The Premier League is the world’s most-watched competition, the Championship is Europe’s sixth wealthiest league, and we have the best-attended and deepest pyramid in world football.
‘Yet the UK will soon become the first major country to regulate football. We must guard against unintended consequences that would put English football’s success at risk.’
Plans for tighter regulator of English football were conceived off the back of the failed attempt to launch the European Super League in 2021, in which six major English clubs were involved.
The proposed Football Governance Bill includes plans for a licensing system for all clubs in the National League and above.
It was also reported to include a ‘backstop’ to allow the regulator to intervene to alter the distribution of media revenues.
Then prime minister Rishi Sunak called the proposals a ‘historic moment for football fans’, putting their voices ‘front and centre’.
Yesterday the UK’s 2028 Euros were dealt another blow, after one of the planned venues was thrown into doubt after the Government announced it would not fund its redevelopment for the competition.
Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn and Ms Nandy pulled the plug on millions of pounds to redevelop Belfast’s Casement Park, saying the stadium wouldn’t be ready in time for the tournament.
In another blow for the 2028 competition, the Government announced it would not provide the funding to ensure Belfast’s Casement Park is ready for the tournament
Sue Gray, the Prime Minister’s chief of staff, was reported to have been closely involved with the decision over whether to fund the redevelopment of the dilapidated stadium in her native part of the UK
The ministers said the cost of building Casement Park had risen ‘dramatically’ since 2023 – from £180 million to £400 million.
A joint letter said: ‘We have therefore, regrettably, decided that it is not appropriate for the UK Government to provide funding to seek to build Casement Park in time to host matches at Euro 2028.
‘This has been a very difficult decision to make, given our belief in the Euro 2028 partnership, but it is the only way forward in the circumstances.’
The move was also a blow for the Prime Minister’s top aide and Northern Ireland native, Sue Gray, who had reportedly pushed for the stadium to be funded.
Instead of the GAA stadium, a Uefa source said matches are now expected to be moved to Wembley, Dublin’s Aviva Stadium, Hampden Park in Glasgow and Cardiff’s Principality Stadium.
