Todd Boehly has been in charge of Chelsea Football Club for less than four months and is already trying to Americanise the Premier League.
Speaking at a conference on Tuesday, the American businessman who is new to the sport of soccer, spoke at length about the changes he envisions for the English league. As part owner of the LA Dodgers baseball team and minority owner of the LA Lakers basketball team, Boehly seems to think he’s well equipped to suggest improvements to the world’s most popular sports league.
“Ultimately, I hope the Premier League learns a bit of a lesson from American sports,” Boehly said. “MLB made its all-star game in Los Angeles this year. We made $200 million between a Monday and a Tuesday.”
Boehly’s concept for his all-star game is a battle between North and South in England. In addition to the all-star game, Boehly suggested a playoff system to determine relegation from England’s top flight.
Jurgen Klopp’s reaction to Todd Boehly’s comments
After Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League game against Ajax, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was asked by a reporter what he thought of Boehly’s crazy ideas. At first, Klopp thought the ideas were a joke.
Klopp laid out several reasons why Boehly’s ideas are silly.
First of all, professional footballers already play too many games, so there is no time in the calendar for an all-star game.
Second, the concept cheapens the sport by creating an inauthentic and meaningless game. As Klopp said at the press conference (see below), “Do you want to bring in the Harlem Globetrotters too and have them play a soccer team?”
Thirdly, the Liverpool manager explains that no one wants to see an all-star game, let alone an all-star game of the north against the south.
Obviously, Boehly has no idea what he’s talking about. Instead, his ideas are driven by how he can, in his mind, help clubs in the league make more money, including his own.
Many of the Americans who own Premier League clubs in the UK have worked hard for years to gain credibility. For example, just a few months ago, 50% of Premier League clubs were owned by Americans (including minor owners).
From now on, Boehly can be expected to focus his attention on improving Chelsea’s results on the field rather than trying to talk about Americanizing the game of soccer.
Photo Credit: IMAGO/Eibner
