A Premier League manager works under a code of conduct. He must keep to his contract, cannot approach another club's players or staff without the required permission, cannot use discriminatory language or make unfair public criticism of match officials, and must declare conflicts of interest and report rule breaches in writing to the league.
What the manager's code covers
The code covers the manager's own contract, contact with other clubs and their people, compliance with football and competition rules, internal discipline, public conduct, transfer dealings, conflicts of interest, and the duty to report breaches.
Where the boundaries are tightest
Approaches are one of the clearest limits. A manager cannot start talks with another club about his own job without permission from his current club, and he cannot use direct contact, indirect contact, or media comments to move his club toward a contract with another club's contract player outside the permitted routes.
The same area covers academy players, players tied to a current pre-registration agreement with another club, and employees at other clubs. For employees, written consent from the employing club comes first before any approach aimed at getting that person to end an employment contract.
Public conduct is another strict area. He must not make public any unfair criticism of a match official, of another manager, or of any player, official or employee of his own or another club.
Discipline, integrity and disclosure
He must use his best endeavours to keep a fair and effective disciplinary policy in force for the players and other employees under his control and to see it applied consistently. He must not encourage or invite anyone to breach the Laws of the Game, The Football Association rules including its football agent regulations, the league's rules, the rules of any competition his club is in or his own club's rules, and must take all possible steps to see that they comply.
He must not use racist or other discriminatory language, his behaviour should show those under his control that discrimination in any form is unacceptable, and he must use all possible steps to see that they adopt the same standards. He must understand and act in accordance with his club's written transfer policy. He must conduct himself at all times in an ethical and professional manner, observe the highest standards of integrity and fair dealing, and take all possible steps to promote the reputation of the game and prevent it being brought into disrepute.
In every discussion, negotiation, transaction and arrangement about the employment of players by his club, renewals and renegotiations included, he must act with the utmost good faith and in accordance with his primary duty to act in his club's best interests, and must observe honesty, transparency, accountability and personal impartiality.
Conflicts and interests must be disclosed to the club at once, whether direct or indirect, actual or potential. Without written consent from the club he cannot take part in the relevant transaction or arrangement, and if consent is given he must account to the club for any benefit he receives. If he is unsure whether disclosure is needed, he may seek guidance and advice from the League Managers' Association. If he becomes aware of a rule breach, he must report it in writing to the league immediately.
What clubs owe each other over managers
Clubs also work under a separate short code in dealings over managers.
| Duty | What it means |
|---|---|
| Good faith | Behave towards every other club with the utmost good faith on anything to do with employing managers |
| Permission first | No negotiations about employing another club's manager without that club's prior permission |
| No inducement | No steps, statements to the media included, to induce another club's manager to breach his contract |
| Paying what is due | Observe its own contract with its manager strictly, and pay promptly anything due to him when it ends |
FAQ
Can a Premier League manager criticise the referee?
He cannot make any unfair public criticism of a match official. His duties also run the other way: he must take all reasonable steps to make sure players and other employees under his control accept and observe the authority and decisions of match officials, and to promote the highest standards on the field of play.
Can a club approach another club's manager?
Only after getting that club's prior permission. It cannot get round that permission by using a third party, and it cannot take steps to induce the other club's manager to breach his contract, with media statements included.
What rules does a Premier League manager have to follow?
The list is wider than league rules on their own. It includes the Laws of the Game, FA rules including football agent regulations, the rules of any competition the club is in, and the club's own rules.
Do Premier League managers have to declare conflicts of interest?
Yes. Any direct or indirect interest, and any actual or potential conflict of interest in a transaction or arrangement involving the club, must be disclosed to the club at once, and the manager cannot take part without written consent.