UEFA Warns England Could Face Euro 2028 Ban Over Regulatory Plans

UEFA has warned the UK government that England risks a ban from the Euro 2028 tournament they are co-hosting if Prime Minister Keir Starmer goes ahead with existing plans for a men’s football regulator, British media reported on Saturday.

In a letter to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, which was acquired by The Times and the BBC, UEFA’s General Secretary Theodore Theodoridis stated that there should be “no government interference in the running of football”.

According to the letter, Theodoridis cautioned against plans outlined in the King’s Speech to give the new regulator the power to oversee clubs in England’s top five leagues, saying the game’s independence was a “fundamental requirement”.

“One particular area of concern stems from one of UEFA’s fundamental requirements, which is that there should be no government interference in the running of football,” Theodoridis wrote.

“We have specific rules that guard against this 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.”

Last year, the previous government unveiled intentions to establish a regulator, emphasizing the need to safeguard clubs against financial mismanagement and to prevent teams from forming separate leagues.

Starmer’s government committed to the regulator in the Labour Party manifesto after being elected in July.

Theodoridis told Nandy that UEFA is “concerned about the potential for scope creep within the IFR (Independent Football Regulator).”

UEFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“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,” a Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport spokesperson said in a statement.

England, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales are collaborating to co-host the 2028 European Championship.