Ministers formally endorsed ten recommendations set out in a report published in November at the government's request.
In particular, it suggests better consultation with fans and a fairer distribution of income from the Premier League, the richest championship in the world.
Former British Sports Minister Tracey Crouch oversaw this report, drawn up with supporters and commissioned after the scandal caused in April 2021 by the European Super League project launched by the biggest English, Spanish and Italian clubs.
Ministers want an independent regulator to be able to monitor club finances and possibly have the power to license and sanction them.
According to experts from the audit firm Deloitte, during the 2018-19 season, before the Covid-19 pandemic, clubs in the English second division (called the Championship) spent an average of 107% of their income on wages, well over beyond the new objectives set by UEFA (70%).
The government also wants the regulator to be able to put in place new procedures for evaluating club owners, in particular by practicing an "integrity test".
All this against the backdrop of the ongoing sale of Chelsea FC by its Russian owner Roman Abramovich, the oligarch targeted by sanctions after the invasion of Ukraine.
The NGO Amnesty International has recently cast doubts on the owner of Chelsea and the recent buyers of Newcastle, a Saudi consortium.
But it is still unclear whether human rights will be part of this integrity test.
Current Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston said he was convinced radical changes were needed to safeguard the future of English football.
The Premier League, which churns out hundreds of millions of pounds, has admitted reform is needed but is not in favor of the government setting up a regulator with statutory powers.
According to Tracey Crouch, this report is "a huge step forward" towards major football reform but its still unclear agenda is "worrying" for clubs and supporters.
© 2022 AFP