UEFA has warned that England could be excluded from the 2028 European Championships, which it will co-host with the Republic of Ireland, due to concerns over Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer’s proposal for an independent football regulator in the UK.
Starmer’s plan involves creating an Independent Football Regulator to oversee English football clubs, which has alarmed UEFA, as it believes government intervention in football management violates its core principle of sport autonomy.
UEFA’s general secretary, Theodore Theodoridis, raised concerns in a letter to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, emphasizing that such interference could lead to England’s exclusion from UEFA competitions, including the Champions League and Europa League.
UEFA fears that the proposed licensing system could encourage other countries to implement national regulators, disrupting its governance of football across Europe.
If England violates UEFA’s rules against state involvement in football, it could face exclusion from both European and World Cup qualifiers, with potentially severe repercussions for the nation’s football.
