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“Does he want to bring the Harlem Globetrotters too?” Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp gives short shrift to Chelsea owner Todd Boehly’s idea of a ‘North vs South All-Star Game’ featuring Premier League stars to raise money for the football pyramid
- Chelsea’s US Owner Proposed Premier League ‘All-Star Game’
- It would see players from northern teams face off against their southern counterparts
- NBA Basketball and MLB Baseball in the United States Have ‘All-Star Games’
- Boehly also proposed a ‘four-team tournament’ to decide who will be relegated
- But Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was not at all impressed with the idea
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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp reacted sarcastically to Todd Boehly’s suggestion of a Premier League ‘North vs South’ game.
Chelsea’s American co-owner raised a few eyebrows when he proposed the “All-Star game,” as seen in the NBA and MLB, which he believes could help raise money for the English football pyramid.
Boehly also suggested that a ‘four-team tournament’ should decide relegation from the Premier League rather than the current three-down format.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp wasn’t too impressed with Chelsea owner Todd Boehly’s suggestion that the Premier League should host a ‘North vs South All-Star Game’
Boehly made the suggestion during a speech at the New York SALT conference on Tuesday
‘Why not do a tournament with the bottom four teams? Why isn’t there an All-Star game?’ asked Boehly at the SALT conference in New York.
“You could play a North-to-South All-Star game in the Premier League and very easily fund everything the pyramid needs.
“Everyone likes the idea of more revenue for the League.”
But Klopp, speaking after Liverpool beat Ajax in the Champions League thanks to a late goal from Joel Matip, gave the idea short shrift when asked about it in his post-match press conference.
With a wide grin, Klopp said: ‘He didn’t wait long! Oh great, if he finds a date for that, he can call me.
American sports like the NFL and NBA host an all-star game every year, with LA Lakers superstar LeBron James (pictured) a constant presence in the exhibition-style game
“He forgets that in the big sports in America these players have a four-month break and they’re quite happy to be able to do a little exercise in these breaks. In football it is very different.
‘What can I say? Does he want to take the Harlem Globetrotters and have them play against a soccer team?’
After thinking a bit more about the concept, Klopp added: “I’m surprised by the question, so please don’t judge my answers too much. Maybe at some point he can explain it to me and find a good date.
“I don’t know if people want to see that. Imagine that – United players, Liverpool players, Everton players all together in one team.
“It’s not the national team, it’s just the northwest and the northeast together and the south? Ok, north vs south means northeast and Newcastle. Interesting game.
Boehly’s proposal would see rivals such as Manchester United and Liverpool in the same team
“And all the London boys together – Arsenal, Tottenham, great. Did he really say it? Excellent.’
The idea of a ‘North vs South All-Star game’ would presumably feature the Premier League’s best players split into two sides by geography.
It would likely see rivals like Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City playing in the same team, as would Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham.
Boehly, who took over Chelsea in the summer, owns the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team and the Los Angeles Lakers NBA team.
Chelsea and Liverpool were due to meet in the Premier League on Sunday, but the game at Stamford Bridge has been postponed due to overstretched police resources over the Queen’s funeral in London.