The European Union of Football Associations (UEFA) has warned the British government that England risks being excluded from the European Championship, which it co-hosts with Northern Ireland, Ireland, Scotland and Wales in 2028.
The reason was a bill for a new oversight body to prevent wealthy clubs from joining breakaway leagues and protect clubs from financial missteps, Reuters reported, citing local media.
In a letter to Culture Minister Lisa Nandy, obtained by The Times and BBC, UEFA secretary general Theodore Theodoridis said there should be "no state interference in the management of soccer."
Theodoridis warned against plans that would see the new regulator given the power to control clubs from England's top five leagues, stressing that the independence of the sport was a "fundamental requirement".
"One area of particular concern is one of UEFA's fundamental requirements, which is that there should be no government interference in the running of soccer. We have specific rules that guard against this to guarantee the autonomy of the sport and the fairness of sporting competitions; the ultimate sanction for breach is the expulsion of the federation from UEFA and the suspension of teams from competition," Theodoridis wrote.
A spokesman for the UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport said in turn that "the Football Governance Bill will create a new independent soccer regulator that will bring fans back to the stadiums and address fundamental governance issues to ensure English soccer is sustainable for club communities."