Ministers have reversed their decision to mandate that the new football regulator take the government's foreign policy into account when evaluating club takeovers. This change comes in response to concerns raised by Uefa, which warned that such a requirement could result in favoritism towards certain countries' bids and could be seen as political interference in the sport. The football governance bill, which is set to be introduced on Thursday, will no longer include this controversial stipulation. The climbdown reflects a growing recognition of the need to maintain the integrity of football governance and avoid entangling the sport in political agendas.

The government is set to empower an independent football regulator with the authority to block Premier League clubs from selling their stadiums to related or third-party entities. This move is part of the government's broader football governance bill. In June, the Premier League attempted to address a loophole that allowed clubs to sell properties for one-off profits, thereby circumventing profitability and sustainability regulations. However, the proposal failed to gain sufficient support, with only 11 out of 20 clubs voting in favor at their annual general meeting last summer. The proposal fell short of the two-thirds majority needed to amend the league's rules.