Manchester United Takeover: Premier League Live Updates: The Premier League has taken a significant step towards preventing human rights abusers from running a football club. The English football body on Friday announced a tightening of its ownership rules. The changes to the owners’ and directors’ test include a new “disqualifying event” for human rights abuses as determined by the UK’s Global Human Rights Sanctions Regulations. Follow Premier League Live Updates on InsideSport.IN.
The Premier League has added new criminal offences to its list of disqualifying events, including violence, corruption, fraud, tax evasion, and hate crimes. The league now has the power to stop individuals under investigation from becoming a director of a club.
List of disqualifying events according to Premier League
- Individuals/companies subject to Government sanctions
- Involvement with human rights abuses
- Criminal offences, extended to: violence, corruption, fraud, tax evasion and hate crimes
- Suspension from any of the following groups: Charity Commission, FCA, Prudential Conduct Authority, HMRC and Gambling Commission
- Any financial issues deemed to potentially lead to insolvency. The league will also allowed to be able to take action against individuals involved in previous insolvencies
- Being under investigation for any of the above disqualifying events
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Human rights groups have praised the Premier League’s move, however, some have expressed concerns that the rules could still be twisted, and the league may still become a “sportswashing toy” if they are not implemented properly.
The new rule might also put Manchester United’s takeover on halt as Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim is one of the bidder for the club.
Many human rights activists have voiced their concerns over Jassim’s bid as the country is negatively in the news of its treatment of migrant workers and its criminalization of homosexual acts.
However, Jassim is confident and believes the strengthened rules will not affect his offer to buy the club as he has made the bid as a private individual.
It remains to be seen if the new rules will effectively prevent individuals linked to serious human rights violations from taking control of Premier League clubs and using them for state sportswashing. The league’s implementation of the rules will be closely watched by human rights groups and other stakeholders in the football industry.
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