England, the government launches the anti-superalloy regulator

From our correspondent Davide Chinellato

February 24th
– London

English football is preparing for a revolution. At the behest of Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister who yesterday presented to Parliament the white paper which will establish (not before the 2024-25 season, but more likely from 2025-26) the figure of a Regulator, an independent body which will have the task to oversee the sustainability of His Majesty’s football, with rules valid from the Premier League to the National League, the fifth division.

“Despite the huge success of the sport, we know there are real challenges threatening the stability of clubs large and small,” said conservative Sunak. This new plan will put fans back at the heart of football, protect the traditions of our beloved clubs and safeguard the game for future generations.” Football has been waiting for this plan for some time, the costs of which will fall on the Premier League: the 6 most important clubs will cover 50% of the expenditure, the top division overall 80%. “We will carefully review this plan which provides for England to become the first country in which football is an industry regulated by the Government”, is the reaction of the Premier.

THE REGULATOR

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The new body will have supervisory powers, but not sporting ones: it will be able to deem new club owners unfit and fine those who do not respect the financial rules, but not to impose penalty points. This supervisory body is created after a review of the football system requested by fans, completed in November 2021 and endorsed by Parliament last year. The Regulator’s main function will be to create a licensing system, from the Premier League to the National League, which will be issued on an annual basis and will be required to register for the various leagues. To obtain them, clubs will have to demonstrate that they follow “solid economic and financial models and that they are managed flawlessly”. The Regulator will also supervise club owners and senior management. A system of control already exists, for both the Premier League and the EFL (Championship, League One and League Two) and (National League), but the Regulator will be tasked with controlling where owners get their money from and will require a detailed financial plan on club management.

THE FANS

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One of the main consequences of these trials of revolution is to put the fans back at the center of football. This reform starts with them, and gives them greater involvement in club management, with the aim of safeguarding their history. In practice, English fans will have a say both on any changes of the club’s name and on the choice of logo and game shirt. And they will also be able to oppose, through the Regulator, the sale or relocation of the stadium. The new control body will also have the power to prohibit teams from taking part in “closed competitions that threaten the national championship” in a clear reference to the hotly contested Superlega which in April 2021 also counted on the participation of the top Premier clubs (City , United, Tottenham, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal). Who soon retraced their steps.

REACTIONS

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The real battle of this reform is obviously economic. Football is viewed by the British Conservative government as a self-sustaining industry, with the Regulator charged with overseeing that it does so and also with the power to force an agreement on the redistribution of football money, which the Premier League passes down to the lowest levels of His Majesty’s Football Pyramid. Negotiations with the EFL, the English Football League, which is asking the top league for more money to fall on the entire football system, have been stalled for some time, but the Regulator will also have the power to force an agreement. The Premier fears that this government intervention could in the long run reduce its role as a point of reference for world football. “It’s a terrible idea, because the Government are terrible at running anything,” said West Ham co-owner David Sullivan. The Regulator will have an important staff whose costs football will have to pay. And it will be money thrown away”.