Premier League tightens ownership rules to stop human rights abusers running a club

The Premier League's caller owners' and directors' trial rules were unanimously approved astatine a shareholders' gathering connected Thursday

The Premier League has tightened its ownership rules to artifact anyone recovered to person committed quality rights abuses from moving a club.

Individuals taxable to UK authorities sanctions volition besides beryllium banned.

The changes to the trial volition beryllium applied immediately.

The Premier League has besides amended the database of transgression offences which would effect successful disqualification, including those which impact violence, corruption, fraud, taxation evasion and hatred crimes.

It besides has caller powerfulness to halt those wishing to go a manager of a nine if they are nether probe for behaviour that would effect successful a disqualifying lawsuit if it is proven.

Human rights radical Amnesty International (AI) said the determination was "a measurement successful the close direction", but warned the Premier League inactive risked becoming a "sportswashing toy" if the rules were not decently implemented.

Conservative MP Tracey Crouch, who was the UK's Sport Minister betwixt 2017 and 2018, said the changes were "smoke and mirrors".

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The caller rules, which were unanimously approved astatine a shareholders' gathering connected Thursday, travel into unit astatine a clip erstwhile the ownership of a fig of Premier League clubs is nether scrutiny.

Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim is among the bidders for Manchester United and the imaginable of Qatari concern successful a Premier League nine has raised concerns among quality rights and LGBTQ+ groups.

The nation's attraction of migrant workers has been criticised, portion homosexual acts are amerciable successful Qatar. Punishments see fines, situation sentences of up to 7 years and adjacent decease by stoning.

Earlier this month, AI said the Premier League "needs to re-examine the assurances" it was fixed astir imaginable Saudi authorities power of Newcastle United.

Newcastle's takeover by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) was approved aft the Premier League received "legally binding assurances" the Saudi authorities would not person immoderate power implicit the club.

Last year, Russian businessman Roman Abramovich sold Chelsea aft being sanctioned by the UK for his alleged ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, which helium denied.

Introducing a much stringent owners' and directors' trial volition beryllium among the powers held by English football's caller autarkic regulator, which was confirmed by a authorities achromatic insubstantial past month.

"[The] Global Human Rights Sanctions Regulations are already the instrumentality of the onshore truthful this is thing new," said Crouch successful effect to the Premier League's announcement.

"Improvement ever invited but inactive don't spell arsenic acold arsenic achromatic paper."

AI's UK's economical affairs manager Peter Frankental added: "It'll marque small quality unless almighty individuals linked to superior quality rights violations overseas are definitively barred from taking power of Premier League clubs and utilizing them for authorities sportswashing.

"Would, for instance, a aboriginal bid involving Saudi oregon Qatari sovereign wealthiness funds beryllium blocked by this regularisation change? It's acold from wide that they would."

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