Q&A with Premier League CEO: Richard Masters opens up about some of football’s biggest talking points | Football News

Premier League CEO Richard Masters reveals some of the hottest topics in football, from club team spirit, to rules and financial responsibilities, to the controversial plans for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.

Here’s what he said in a media briefing ahead of the start of the new Premier League season…

Should fans be consulted fully if there is a proposal to play Premier League matches abroad?

“I have to say: there are no plans to play games abroad in the Premier League and that is the starting point.

“It was never discussed at a shareholders meeting after the 39th game, for those of you who remember, and I certainly do. And of course, I think if there’s going to be a major change in the structure of the competition, the fans should be consulted. But I don’t think that’s going to happen, it’s not part of the plan, so in that sense I think it’s a bit of a moot point.”

What is the new financial system and what will it mean for clubs?

“We’ve been working for probably a year with internal working groups and talking to clubs on developing a new system. The main starting point was alignment with UEFA, so our current PSR (Profit and Sustainability Rules) were largely aligned with UEFA’s FFP (Financial Fair Play) rules when they were introduced.

“We came in second and we brought them in and they were equal. So, clubs that operate on dual systems coming in and out of Europe don’t have to operate on completely different systems. So, there’s continuity in financial planning and that was the main driving force in looking at what we call the team cost ratio, which is what’s being implemented in Europe.

“The main difference between the Premier League system and the current UEFA system is that, again, it is very similar to the current system where the Premier League allows for losses after additions of £105 million over three years and the UEFA system is much more restrictive. In UEFA, the team cost ratio is 70 percent and the non-European Premier League clubs will operate on 85 percent of their revenues from football and football profits. So, it’s a different way of looking at it.

“The second difference of a system is that it will be in-season. It would not be a look-back system. So clubs will be given a budget to operate within. That is what has been agreed to follow. That means we will test the rules as this season goes on. Clubs will submit financial information, but it is not a live rule base, so PSR continues.

“At some point in the year, as we’ve adjusted the rules and changed because we’ll think about things that need to change as the process goes along, we’ll discuss whether we want to bring the system to real time. The first opportunity to do that is 2025-2026.

“So it’s a different system, but again it provides clubs with the opportunity to operate in a very similar system to what exists in Europe. So, the team cost ratio is one of the main types of financial regulations that are being discussed and are in the shadow at the moment.

“The other is the top-down anchoring, which establishes a relationship between the maximum spend a club can have and the lowest distribution in the Premier League, and that is also in the shadow. But again it is a separate part of the financial system.

“What we are working on is a temporary situation and not a permanent one. So we are not always talking about regulations and financial rules, but about football. This is what we would prefer, this is what we want to return to and this is what we are moving towards.”

Why is there discontent among clubs regarding a system they have accepted?

“I’m not sure there’s widespread discontent with the rules. Well, the reason, as I said, is that we’re thinking about a change because it all started with the alignment with UEFA. Obviously what has changed is that some clubs have breached those rules and that has led to an external scrutiny of the financial system and put it under a lot of scrutiny.

“I accept that it has sometimes created frustration and a lack of clarity, but we have to do our job and the way the system works is that when we believe a breach has occurred, we obviously announce it publicly. It is then heard by an independent committee. They decide the timing of that process.”

Are some clubs exploiting loopholes in the rules?

“Well, the rules are well understood and so I wouldn’t call them loopholes. They are understood and allowed within the rules and our job is to make sure they comply with the letter of the rules.

“Obviously there are many clubs that have different ways of spending plans over a three-year period and we are less interested in that plan, more that everyone respects those rules. So [there are] different ways to achieve the same goal, which is to be within the limit.”

Is there still team spirit among Premier League clubs?

“There is a collective spirit within the Premier League that still exists, absolutely. And, you know, it’s a competition designed for people to compete with each other. Clubs compete with each other on the pitch, off the pitch, in sponsorship markets, for new investment, they compete with each other all the time.

“And everyone is trying to find a solution, whether it’s signing a player, finding a way to improve in the Premier League, and I think that’s a great thing.

“But I think there is a collective spirit. Ultimately, everyone understands that the Premier League is a fantastic football competition that needs to be preserved and protected, and that is primarily the role of the Premier League. Everyone has to do their part, and I think they understand that, and they do that.”

What is the Premier League’s stance on ticket prices?

Clubs have set ticket prices for as long as the Premier League has existed. There are rules and regulations around that, and clubs have to, you know, the recent prices come from a long period of very stable increases or no increases at all. That’s all I would say, keep it in the context of what’s happening, and clubs set ticket prices. They should, I think, consult with fans on that, and ticket prices are not always popular, I understand that, and it’s a balance.

“The fans are the lifeblood of the Premier League. We’re 99 percent sold out and we want to keep it that way. We want it to be affordable. Away ticket prices are still £30, a decade later. The average ticket price in the Premier League is something like £36.80. I think that’s incredible value for 90 minutes… well, 100 minutes now, because of the new time-allowed situation.”

What is the situation with FIFA and the Club World Cup tournament next summer? They haven’t announced any broadcast deals or host cities yet. You’re obviously against it: will it be an epic battle all season?

“Well, let’s take a step back. What we have a problem with mainly – and I take one half and put another – is that I am obviously the president of the World League Association and also the CEO of the Premier League. But in general, we have openly stated that the calendar is full. This season we will see new UEFA competitions coming. I am adding more games to the list of matches.

“We are seeing FIFA in general expanding their competitions, so you have a bigger World Cup coming in 2026 and we have a new competition in the Club World Cup in 2025. I don’t know anything about broadcast deals and host cities. That’s a FIFA issue. They haven’t announced anything that I’m aware of and that’s obviously a problem for them to sort out. What we’re primarily concerned about is not necessarily the decisions. We’re concerned about the process in which they’re made.

“The leagues and the players’ unions, both the players and the leagues that register and develop those players are not being consulted appropriately, if at all, in relation to current big global decisions such as the World Cup, and that is what we think needs to be addressed meaningfully with FIFA. We are open to discussing this with them.

“We have obviously indicated that we will take action: this is a group of leagues and players’ unions acting in concert at some point in the future. The case has not yet been filed. That is the main issue.”

What would you like to happen: the end of the FIFA Club World Cup?

“The problem is that the Club World Cup lasts a month and ends in mid-July, and it is not a competition for national teams where you can field players from different clubs at the start of the season.

“If our clubs get to the finals of those competitions, what kind of teams are they going to be able to field at the start of a Premier League season when we have an obligation to the players to give them three weeks’ rest, which they’re not going to get? So ultimately it doesn’t add up and so a new agreement has to be reached.

“It’s not my competition, the Club World Cup is a relevant competition that should be able to develop in its own way, but not at the expense of other competitions. Do Chelsea and Manchester City want to play now? You should ask Chelsea and Man City.”