England Could Face Euro 2028 Ban if Keir Starmer Pursues Football Regulator Reforms, UEFA Warns

UEFA has warned that England could be banned from hosting the Euro 2028 tournament if Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer plans to create a men’s football regulator.

A leaked letter from UEFA General Secretary Theodore Theodoridis to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy outlined concerns over potential government interference in football’s operation.

The letter stated that it could jeopardise England’s involvement in UEFA tournaments and warned that implementing a football regulator could violate UEFA’s rules on maintaining the sport’s independence.

Harry Kane plays for England. Uefa has warned that England could be banned from hosting Euro 2028 if Sir Keir Starmer pushes ahead with his plans for a men’s football regulator.

Labour has committed to enacting legislation, originally proposed by the previous government, to prevent top English clubs from forming breakaway leagues and tackling financial mismanagement in the sport. The proposed laws would introduce a new watchdog to regulate clubs across the top five divisions of English football.

However, Theodoridis emphasised in his letter that the sport’s independence is a “fundamental requirement.”

Sir Keir Starmer has committed to new rules preventing financial mismanagement of clubs and the forming of breakaway leagues.

One of UEFA’s key concerns is the possibility that new regulations would require club owners to align with the UK’s trade and foreign policy objectives. This could result in restrictions on scheduling friendly matches in certain countries or receiving funding from overseas investors, which UEFA views as state overreach.

Theodoridis expressed concerns that a new regulator might interfere with UEFA’s authority over football matters. He stated that UEFA’s existing rules safeguard against state interference to ensure fair competition, and the ultimate consequence for breaching these rules could be the exclusion of a national federation and its teams from UEFA competitions. This could risk England’s participation in the Euros, Champions League, and World Cup qualifiers.

Uefa’s general secretary, Theodore Theodoridis, said it was a ‘fundamental requirement’ that the game remain free of governmental interference.

A source close to UEFA suggested that if government interference escalates, it could strain relations between football governing bodies, potentially affecting England’s ability to host and participate in future tournaments. The source indicated that UEFA sees the proposed regulator as beginning a broader trend of government intervention in football, which could lead to more stringent measures.

In a letter to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, Mr Theodoridis warned that planned UK reforms could amount to state overreach.

UEFA’s warnings come amid growing concern within the Premier League as well. In April, the league launched a campaign cautioning against the risks of an independent regulator. The campaign argued that English football is thriving, with the Premier League being the most-watched football competition in the world and the Championship ranking as Europe’s sixth-wealthiest league. The Premier League highlighted the potential “unintended consequences” of government regulation that could threaten the success of English football.

Without UEFA membership, England cannot play in major competitions, including the Euros, and English clubs would not qualify for the Champions League.

The push for tighter regulation in English football followed the failed European Super League attempt in 2021, which involved six major English clubs. The proposed Football Governance Bill would introduce a licensing system for clubs in the National League and above and include provisions allowing the regulator to intervene in the distribution of media revenues.

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.

Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had supported these reforms, calling them a “historic moment for football fans” that would prioritise their interests.

England’s hopes of hosting Euro 2028 took another hit in a separate but related development when it was revealed that Belfast’s Casement Park, a planned venue, may not be redeveloped in time for the tournament. Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn and Lisa Nandy announced the UK Government would not fund the stadium’s redevelopment due to rising costs. The estimated cost for the project had increased from £180 million in 2023 to £400 million.

Sue Gray, the Prime Minister’s chief of staff, was reported to have been closely involved in deciding whether to fund the redevelopment of the dilapidated stadium in her native UK region.

The decision, which came as a blow to the Prime Minister’s top aide Sue Gray, who had supported the funding, means that the UK Government is pulling out of plans to have Casement Park ready for Euro 2028. According to a UEFA source, matches initially planned for Belfast will likely be moved to alternative venues, including Wembley Stadium, Dublin’s Aviva Stadium, Hampden Park in Glasgow, and Cardiff’s Principality Stadium.