The chairman of Kick It Out, the soccer anti-racism charity, has been shortlisted to develop into the primary head of Britain’s proposed new Impartial Soccer Regulator (IFR).
A choice is anticipated within the coming weeks, and the identities of the opposite two contenders for the high-profile put up had been unclear on Friday.
Mr Bhandari has chaired Kick It Out’s board of trustees since 2019, having been a accomplice on the skilled companies agency EY for greater than a decade.
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He’s additionally an unbiased non-executive director of the Garden Tennis Affiliation, and chairs the Satellite tv for pc Purposes Catapult, which goals to help innovation within the UK area business.
In 2024, he was awarded an MBE for companies to sport.
Mr Bhandari’s probabilities of touchdown the chairmanship of the IFR are unclear, though one supply described his credentials as “strong”.
The institution of the regulator, which was initially conceived by the earlier Conservative authorities within the wake of the furore over the failed European Tremendous League challenge, has triggered deep unrest within the sport.
This week, Steve Parish, the influential chairman of Premier League aspect Crystal Palace, advised a sports activities business convention organised by the Monetary Instances that the watchdog “wants to interfere in all of the things we don’t need them to interfere in and help with none of the things we actually need help with”.
“We have a problem that we’re constantly being told that we’re not a business and [that] we’re part of the fabric of communities,” he’s reported to have mentioned.
“At the same time, we’re… being treated to the nth degree like a business.”
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Lisa Nandy has the ultimate say on the appointment. Pic: PA
Interviews for the chair of the soccer regulator happened in November, and Mr Bhandari’s is believed to be the primary of the three shortlisted names to be publicly disclosed.
The put up was marketed with a £130,000-a-year wage, and shall be based mostly on the IFR’s new dwelling in Manchester.
It’s the second time a recruitment course of has been run for a chair for the IFR, after an earlier hunt was curtailed by the final election.
Lisa Nandy, the tradition secretary, will log off on the appointment of a most popular candidate, with the chosen particular person anticipated to face a pre-appointment listening to in entrance of the Commons tradition, media and sport choose committee.
The Soccer Governance Invoice is continuing by way of parliament, with its subsequent stage anticipated in March.
It varieties a part of a course of that represents essentially the most elementary shake-up within the oversight of English soccer within the sport’s historical past.
The institution of the physique comes with the highest tier of the skilled sport wracked by civil battle, with Abu Dhabi-owned Manchester Metropolis on the centre of various authorized circumstances over its monetary dealings.
The federal government has dropped a earlier stipulation that the regulator ought to have regard to British international and commerce coverage when figuring out the appropriateness of a brand new membership proprietor.
The IFR will monitor golf equipment’ adherence to guidelines requiring them to take heed to followers’ views on points together with ticket pricing, whereas it could even have oversight of the parachute funds made to golf equipment within the years after their relegation from the Premier League.
The highest flight has issued a press release expressing reservations in regards to the regulator’s remit, whereas the IFR has been broadly welcomed by the English Soccer League.
A Division for Tradition, Media and Sport spokesman mentioned: “We do not comment on speculation.
“No appointment has been made and the recruitment course of for [IFR] chair is ongoing.”
Mr Bhandari couldn’t be reached for remark.
