Uefa has called on the government to introduce laws that would give the Football Association more power over how the Premier League is run and called for a "single governing body" to run the game in England, reports The Guardian. Uefa points out that the UK is almost unique among European nations in failing to supply a "proper ¬legislative framework" for sports bodies.

"Legislation can help to protect different sports from the unwanted side-effects of the haphazard way sport has developed - by helping to ensure sporting objectives are prioritised," says the report. "The overall framework and control of development policy and technical matters should be with the national association for all levels of football."

The Premier League responded, "Football is best governed at a national level and any debate of how to do that should take place within that framework," a spokesman said.

Although Uefa's submission recognises the role of the Premier League as a competitions organiser, it adds: "The national association should retain overall control in order to ensure balanced development of the sport in question. Uefa is of the view that there is (and should be) a single governing body responsible for English football and that is the Football Association."

Uefa also expressed unease at the ¬Premier League being the controlling body for top-flight referees in England.