Government ready to back plan for ban on Premier League games abroad
The government is ready to back plans to add provisions to the Football Governance Bill that would prevent the Premier League and EFL from staging competitive matches abroad.
The move would be welcomed by fans' groups, who are concerned that clubs will seek to cash in on their global popularity by moving games overseas in a radical break with tradition expected to be approved by Fifa this year.
Liverpool's chair, Tom Werner, told the Financial Times last year that he was determined to see Premier League games played in New York, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Riyadh and Rio de Janeiro.
The bill to create the Independent Football Regulator had its second Reading in the House of Commons this week but amendments are likely to be added. The Guardian has learned there are concerns among some MPs that an existing clause in the bill stating clubs must seek the regulator's permission 'to move home games elsewhere' is not robust enough, and there are plans to submit an amendment at the committee stage which explicitly rules out taking a match abroad.
Although the government is not planning to introduce the amendment, multiple sources have confirmed it is sympathetic to the principle and opposed to English fixtures being moved overseas. Ministers could support the amendment, suggest changes to it or oppose it depending on the wording.
The Premier League's chief executive, Richard Masters, said last summer it had 'no plans' to take games abroad and that the subject had not been formally discussed since 2008, when plans for an 'international round' – the so-called 39th game – were abandoned after a fan backlash and opposition from Fifa. Premier League policy is decided by its members, however, and if 14 clubs wanted to play overseas the executive would be unable to stop them.
Fifa regulations that prevent league matches being played outside domestic national territories are set to change. The world governing body set up a working group last year to issue new recommendations on the subject after settling a legal dispute with the American sports promoter Relevent, which had argued that Fifa's refusal to sanction overseas games was anti-competitive.
La Liga and Serie A have stated a desire to move games abroad as soon as next season.
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