EFL owners are clear to buy Scottish and Irish teams after changing multi-club rules

The EFL has changed its multi-club property rules to allow members to buy clubs in Scottish and Irish leagues for the first time. Accept during its Aga this month, the EFL would have removed the Scottish Professional Football League and the Irish football league from the list of competition clubs are prohibited from investing.

EFL has concerns about potential integrity problems raised by multi-club property, but since it is more and more widespread, it has chosen to align its rules with other competitions, including the Premier League.

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The need for greater alignment has been highlighted when the majority owner of Leeds, 49er Enterprises, undertook exclusive negotiations on the purchase of Rangers in an agreement concluded last month. 49ers Enterprises paid 75 million pounds sterling for 51% of Rangers in a transaction that would have been delayed if Leeds had not been promoted in the Premier League.

The EFL refused to confirm if it would have blocked the investment if Leeds had remained in the championship. EFL sources recognized the problem of Leeds / Rangers, but said that the changes had not been made to resolve this situation.

Under the regulations that come into service this coming season, owners and directors are prohibited from having interests in more than a club of the EFL, the Premier League, the National League, the Southern League, the Isthmian League and the Northern Premier League. An interest is defined as holding actions in two clubs or exercising a managerial or administrative influence.

In the Premier League, the owner of Brighton, Tony Bloom, paid 10 million pounds sterling for a 29% participation in Hearts this month, and the owner of Bournemouth, Bill Foley, paid 6 million pounds sterling for 25% of the Hibs last year.

IFL clubs are likely to benefit from more investment offers after the change of rule, EFL teams wishing to increase their parking options for European Union players. From Brexit, EU players moving to the United Kingdom require work permits issued by the Ministry of the Interior under criteria based on the approval points of the guiding bodies (GBE).

The GBE system obliges players to secure 15 points to pass, with those who devoid a large number of international appearances or do not play in one of the best European leagues which often lack.