Sir Keir Starmer ready to battle UEFA with England risking being banned for Euro 2028

Sir Keir Starmer has spoken about his plans for a regulator (Image: Getty)

Sir Keir Starmer has played down the risk of England being banned from competing at Euro 2028, a tournament which the country are set to co-host with Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland.

The Prime Minister has confirmed that his government are pressing ahead with plans for a ‘truly independent regular’ to oversee the English game. However, the decision has been heavily opposed by European football’s governing body UEFA.

The bill was first introduced by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak but timed out due to this summer’s General Election, and Starmer insists that he will follow through with those plans.

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The decision has prompted a strong reaction from UEFA, with their general secretary Theo Theodoridis writing to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy. He explained that the body’s rules state there should be ‘no government interference’ in football and that English football risks the ‘ultimate sanction’ for breaching the regulations - this could include ‘exclusions’ from international and European competitions.

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But Starmer is not fazed by the letter received and has spoken about how he remains confident that the regulator being imposed on football would not breach UEFA rules. He explained: “I don’t think there’s any problem with the rules, because this is a truly independent regulator.

“But, as you’d expect, we’re talking to UEFA, and I’m sure we’ll find a way through this. But I’m confident that our rules are perfectly consistent, and that the regulator is truly independent.

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Starmer has played down any potential risks (Image: Getty)

“But, of course, we’re talking to UEFA to make sure that we can ensure that everything is possible as we go forward.”

Asked if he was trying to convince the governing body that the independent regulator would not breach any of their rules, Starmer said: “I mean, I don’t think it does, I don’t think it’s a problem. But, of course, we’ll talk to them if they’ve got concerns. I think they’ve slightly reduced their concerns as time has gone on, but obviously, I’ll discuss their concerns with them.”

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Theodoridis’ letter raised specific concerns about Labour’s plans for an Independent Football Regulator (IFR), specifically a clause which would force them to consider the UK government’s foreign and trade policy objectives when making decisions on potential owners.

He wrote: “Several aspects of the bill raise specific concerns regarding the IFR’s independence and the risk of political and governmental interference, namely [the clause] which obliges the IFR to consider the UK government’s foreign and trade policy objectives when determining the suitability of future and incumbent owners.”

Sir Keir Starmer ready to battle UEFA with England risking being banned for Euro 2028

Sir Keir Starmer ready to battle UEFA with England risking being banned for Euro 2028

Sir Keir Starmer ready to battle UEFA with England risking being banned for Euro 2028

Sir Keir Starmer ready to battle UEFA with England risking being banned for Euro 2028

Sir Keir Starmer ready to battle UEFA with England risking being banned for Euro 2028