‘Did he really say it?’ – Liverpool boss Klopp mocks Boehly’s calls for a north vs south All-Star game
Chelsea owner Todd Boehly has suggested a north vs south Premier League All-Star game and it’s fair to say that Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp isn’t a fan.
The Chelsea owner has suggested a US-style exhibition match, with the aim of helping to fund the football pyramid.
The Chelsea owner explained, “Ultimately I hope the Premier League takes a little bit of a lesson from American sports.
“And really starts to figure out, why don’t we do a tournament with the bottom four sports teams, why isn’t there an All-Star game?
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“People are talking about more money for the pyramid, in the MLB All-Star game this year we made 200 million dollars from a Monday and a Tuesday.”
The 2022 MLB All-Star Game was hosted at Dodger Stadium and was the most-attended series since 2008.
Over a three-day span the MLB announced an attendance of 152,182 in total and Boehly thinks the idea would be a hit in the Premier League.
Klopp’s thoughts on the current fixture congestion has been well documented and he wasted no time in brushing off Boehly’s suggestions.
Klopp joked (via Metro): “Great. When he finds a date for that he can call me.
“He forgets that in the big sports in America, these sports have four-month breaks so they’re quite happy they can do a little bit of sport in these breaks.
“It’s completely different in football.”
Last season Liverpool played a total of 63 matches and so the thought of even more football was a shock for Klopp.
“I’m surprised by the question so please don’t judge my answers too much, but maybe he can explain it to me at one point.
“Does he want to bring the Harlem Globetrotters as well and let them play a football team?”
As well as the logistical concerns, Klopp has also questioned whether people would actually want to see a north vs south All-Star game.
“I’m not sure people want to see that.
“Imagine that, United, Liverpool, Everton, Newcastle players all on one team that’s not the national team, just a north team.
“All the London guys together. Arsenal, Tottenham. Great. Did he really say it? Interesting.”
The idea behind an All-Star game is commonplace in America.
The MLS assembles an All-Stars team each year to take on a European team or a fellow All-Stars team from around the world.
The All-Stars game is usually a hit in America, in 2018 their game against Juventus drew a crowd of over 72,000 fans at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
After the outrage caused by the European Super League suggestions, calls for an Americanized All-Star game will likely fall on deaf ears.
The Champions League is set to expand from 32 to 36 teams from 2024, adding even more football to the fixture list as things stand.
Boehly is adamant the idea will be a hit, but it’s fair to say Klopp will take some convincing.
