Football clubs ‘totally different’ to newspapers amid speculation MPs will lobby Football Bill change

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer says the principle of free press would be undermined by a foreign state owning a newspaper

The Government has denied operating a double standard by accepting ownership of the Premier League champions Manchester City by an Emirati royal but opposing the Gulf state-backed Telegraph takeover.
Lucy Frazer, the Culture Secretary, said that it was important to “draw a distinction” between investment in a sporting entity, or in business spheres, and links to the acquisition of buying a major national newspaper.
It comes amid growing speculation that MPs will attempt to push an amendment to the new Football Governance Bill, with sources informing The Telegraph that there are concerns over foreign investment with links to state funding into football clubs.
Appearing on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Frazer was asked whether there is a “double standard” in the UK Government giving a “tick” to Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, an Emirati royal, owning Manchester City, but attempting to block the proposed Telegraph sale, which is backed by funds from the United Arab Emirates.
“I don’t think there is [a double standard],” she said. “We believe in this country in the free press. The media’s job is to hold power to account and it’s therefore inappropriate for the UK Government to own a newspaper, and it’s therefore also inappropriate for a foreign state to own a newspaper. But we are very much open for business in terms of foreign investment in other spheres, like football. They’re totally different.”
Ministers revealed plans last Wednesday “explicitly to rule out newspaper and periodical news magazine mergers involving ownership, influence or control by foreign states”.
The move came after RedBird IMI, a fund 75 per cent backed by Sheikh Mansour, who is also the UAE vice-president, had positioned itself to take control of The Telegraph and The Spectator magazine by repaying the debts of the Barclay family, the current owners.
The takeover has been under scrutiny from the Government using existing powers to protect press freedom, but MPs and peers across Parliament have demanded tighter laws.
The issue of foreign influence and finances in British football has come under sharp scrutiny in recent years, most notably over Roman Abramovich’s Chelsea takeover in 2003, Sheikh Mansour’s acquisition of City in 2008 and then the 80 per cent takeover of Newcastle United in 2021 by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
The Government will announce publication of a “historic” new Football Governance Bill on Tuesday, which will bring in the sport’s first independent regulator.
The bill will see all clubs become subject to a formal licensing regime, which will include protections against financial mismanagement, breakaway competitions, stadium relocations, and changes to club names, badges and colours against the wishes of fans.
The new regulator will be able to assess owners but the tests are not understood to differ vastly from the Premier League current rules and are not expected to impact current ownership arrangements among the 20 clubs.
The regulator is also not expected to be in place before the Premier League’s next Annual General Meeting in June this year.