Palace chairman Steve Parish feels European football needs independent regulator

Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish accepts UEFA’s revised plans for a new-look Champions League from the 2024-25 season do not sound “dreadful” but believes European football would benefit from an independent regulator.

Tuesday saw one of the key recommendations from Conservative MP Tracey Crouch’s fan-led review – to bring in an independent regulator of English Football – referenced in the Queen’s Speech before UEFA did a U-turn on its original proposal to give two clubs a path into the Champions League through historic performances.

Criticism from across Europe over the planned move to reward clubs on their coefficient eventually resulted in a change which was voted through during UEFA’s executive committee meeting in Vienna, where it was instead decided two extra Champions League places would go to the countries whose clubs collectively performed best in Europe during the previous campaign.

England’s top flight would have benefited from an extra space in four of the last five seasons under those terms and, while Parish accepts his Palace side potentially qualifying for the Champions League through a fifth-place finish would be great, the long-serving chairman does not feel it is right.

“What I know about what I have heard doesn’t sound dreadful but I would have to soak it all up,” he said at the club’s end-of-season awards night at BOXPARK Croydon.

“I would love Palace to finish fifth and get the Champions League, but if you ask me honestly as a football person, is that what UEFA should be doing? UEFA to me should be spreading the game across Europe.

“It is all short-term gain and ‘Let’s try get as many of these clubs in so we can get the most broadcast money’, which for me is wrong. For me, this tournament needs to