Should a proposal to outlaw state-controlled clubs be approved by Parliament, Manchester City and Newcastle may be compelled to switch ownership. In an amendment submitted to the Football Governance Bill, Brighton Labour lord Lord Bassam made the idea to establish an independent authority for the sport in England. The Times claims that although the clubs in the Premier League have demanded that the government impose such a restriction, it is thought that the amendment has little chance of being approved.
Currently, Sheikh Mansour, the owner of City, is the vice-president of the United Arab Emirates, while Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman chairs the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, which owns Newcastle. Both teams would need to locate new owners in order for the regulator to grant them a license if the new idea were to become law.
Under the Football Governance Bill, a new regulatory body would be established to manage English football, including new tests for directors and owners as well as a new procedure for allocating game-wide money. Over the next few weeks, the House of Lords will continue to debate the measure and Bassam's amendment. A final decision will take time to arrive but it can have a lot of consequences if it goes through.
What does the Amendment submitted to the Football Governance Bill state?
The Amendment read that, "No state-controlled club may be granted an operating licence, and any affected club must satisfy the IFR [independent football regulator] that they have divested themselves of their state-control before applying for an operating licence.”
It added, "A state-controlled club is one which is wholly or majority-owned by individual(s), entities, or entities controlled by individual(s) who are deemed by the IFR or the secretary of state to be under the influence of any state actor, including but not limited to: members of any government or their immediate family, a head of state or their immediate family, diplomats, lobbyists, or other state representatives, or their immediate family, and sovereign wealth funds."