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Todd Boehly’s proposals to revolutionize the Premier League’s relegation formula and introduce an American All-Star-style game were rejected by Craig Burley when he called the suggestions “horse manure.”
The Chelsea chairman raised some eyebrows this week after suggesting the Premier League could learn from American sport.
Boehly proposed an All-Star North vs South game in the Premier League, suggesting that a ‘four-team tournament’ should decide relegation from the English top league rather than the current three-down format.
Todd Boehly’s Premier League proposals were rejected by ESPN pundit Craig Burley
The proposals left some of football’s biggest stars stunned, including Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher and Thierry Henry.
And ESPN pundit and former Chelsea midfielder Burley became the last to criticize the American owner for messing up the ideas.
After Boehly claimed American sports could teach elite sports a thing or two, Burley insisted the 48-year-old knew nothing about relegation, as the concept doesn’t exist in most American sports, claiming they “reward trash.”
‘Horse manure. Absolute horse manure,” he told ESPN FC. “Let me list a few things here.
Former Chelsea midfielder Burley became the last to reject the American owner’s ideas
“He’s talking about relegation – and they do in other leagues where they have playoffs in relegation at different levels – which American sport has relegation? Unless I’m missing something, the answer is no.
“So what the hell does he know about relegation? Because his sports don’t have it. What they do have there they don’t even reward mediocre, they reward waste. That’s what they do.
“In most of these sports you can finish at the bottom of the rankings and get a bucket full of money. You don’t degrade.’
In an extended interview at the New York SALT conference on Tuesday, Boehly said, “Why isn’t there an all-star game? There is talk of more money for the pyramid. With the all-star game in LA this year, we made $200 million on a Monday and a Tuesday.
Boehly made the suggestion during a speech at the New York SALT conference on Tuesday
“You could play a North-to-South all-star game for the Premier League and fund everything the pyramid needs very easily.”
He then added: “Listen, I think everyone likes the idea of more revenue for the league.”
But Burley suggested Boehly’s call for more money and stressed that Premier League clubs don’t need more money, before adding that the players don’t need another game.
The Scotsman, who played for Chelsea between 1989 and 1997, also insisted the fans would have no appetite for the All-Star game.
He stressed that fans want to support their own teams and not put together northern and southern teams.
“Second, he’s talking about $200 million or whatever it is,” Burley continued. “Hasn’t he seen the graph grow and grow and the amount of money the Premier League is making around the world?
“I mean, it makes a fortune. It has risen every year as broadcasters continue to pay more and more. They don’t need the money. They certainly don’t need the extra game.
“And frankly there would be no appetite from players, there would certainly be no appetite from managers and I really think there would be no appetite from the supporters at all.
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
‘Supporters want to support their own teams. What they don’t want in my opinion is some Americanized invention of plastic rivalry.’
“Todd Boehly has enough on his plate to rebuild this Chelsea team to compete with the best.
“Fine, give your opinion, but it’s nothing more than two-minute blow-fall.
“Can you imagine calling Kevin de Bruyne and Mo Salah? When Todd Boehly came to their house to see if they wanted to compete in the North-South competition, they opened the curtains and held up two fingers at him. “Sod off, have enough games. Go back to London.”‘
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’s proposal would see rivals such as Manchester United and Liverpool in the same team