Regulators are right that football has massive problem with money – but clubs are much more than simply businesses

Writing in The Sun, Karren Brady argues that while the Independent Football Regulator correctly highlights severe financial problems across the sport, strict regulation must not stifle ambition and risk-taking. Brady emphasizes that clubs are distinct from ordinary businesses or banks, existing primarily to pursue sporting success through promotion, avoidance of relegation, and ambitious competition.

The Independent Football Regulator's report found that 94 percent of clubs are losing money, with aggregate losses reaching £1.7 billion and agent fees totaling £484 million. Brady contends that regulators should maintain a light touch, protect growth, and remain independent of political interference, warning against measures that simply treat every club as a problem to manage.