Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has floated the idea of playing Premier League matches in the US amid calls to move England’s top player to the United States.
The Premier League is facing new demands for matches across the pondwith US TV giants NBC determined to host the second leg of the season’s opening weekend on US soil.
TV executives and big agents in America are publicly lobbying for ‘Manchester United vs Chelsea in New York’, while the Premier League’s chief executive Richard Masters recently admitted that ‘the door is ajar’ for matches in European competitions to be played abroad.
The concept was met with stiff opposition from fans – who played a key role in defeating an idea for a ’39th game’ in the US 17 years ago – with many American supporters also opposing the suggestion.
Jurgen Klopp has floated the idea of playing Premier League matches in the US
The American network NBC wants to organize two opening weekend matches of the Premier League in the US
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters recently admitted that ‘the door is ajar’ for matches in European competitions to be played abroad
Now Klopp has poured scorn on rumors the Premier League would move to the United States, mocking football chiefs for coming up with “really good ideas”.
The Reds boss, who will leave Anfield at the end of the season, said when asked if he could see himself moving into an administrative role after management: ‘No, I’ve never thought about it but they will put people on a normal age need who know the business. But imagine if I became FIFA president?
‘It’s obviously a well-paid job, that’s why they want to do it all – not the official part of course. I don’t think I’ll spend my whole life doing this kind of thing.
“At the end of the day, one person can’t fix it as long as everyone else thinks, ‘Oh well, it’ll be fine, they’re making millions, let them play there.’ Let’s do the first three days of competition in America, all very good ideas.”
‘Alone you can’t change anything. I probably wouldn’t survive in that sea of sharks. That’s not the plan. I don’t think I will.’
NBC Sports currently has a six-year contract with the Premier League for continued exclusive coverage of matches in the US since 2022. The deal is reportedly worth $450 million per season.
Currently, NBC is among the Premier League’s most important partners, as the network contributes enormously to the purchasing power and earning potential of top clubs.
What’s more is that English top-flight matches have reached new heights in the US over the past sixteen months, with the match between Manchester City and Arsenal in March attracting a record 2.6 million viewers across both English and Spanish-language channels.
Klopp mocked football chiefs for having ‘really good ideas’ as he suggested they don’t consider player welfare
The Premier League organized several summer matches in the US last summer
Former Premier League goalkeeper and Ny Breaking.com columnist Tim Howard believes English fans are only critical of plans to move to the United States because of the tradition of their clubs and sport, as he insists it is ‘inevitable’ that this will happen in the next five years.
‘I’ve always felt that. It could happen in the next five years,” Howard said in his latest column. ‘And my message to English fans? It’s a good thing. It will only help the Premier League grow. It will ensure that the Premier League remains the best league in the world.
‘What makes it number 1? Teams can attract and pay the best players. To do that, you need higher revenue streams. For that to happen, TV deals have to keep rising. And for that to happen, you have to serve those consumers: American fans, Asian fans, South American fans.
‘They all pay exorbitant amounts to watch the Premier League. Now they want a piece of it.
‘That is part of the growth of any competition. It’s a shame for the English fans who don’t want that. But it can’t be both ways.’