Rio Ferdinand, Thierry Henry and Jamie Carragher are all in agreement that Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly's idea for a Premier League All-Star game will not work in English football.
Boehly's Blues tenure certainly hasn't been a quiet one to date. From spending a whopping £250million plus as an interim sporting director to sacking the much-loved Thomas Tuchel, the American and his consortium group have made an impact and received backlash from multiple people in the footballing world.
In the short-term, the next priority for the part-LA Dodgers owner is to employ a permanent sporting director whilst also looking into putting plans in place for new manager Graham Potter's first transfer window in charge in January.
READ MORE: Todd Boehly breaks silence over Thomas Tuchel sacking and outlines his long-term Chelsea vision
Boehly has looked into ways of making the Premier League more marketable across the world. He has previously promised not to go back into the controversial European Super League project which still lingers, but has proposed an all-star game idea. This would consist of the best of the north playing the best of the south in a one-off game that would likely generate a huge audience and also large amounts of money. All-Star games in American sports are popular events, with the main basketball, baseball and American football leagues all adopting them.
Jurgen Klopp has already rubbished this idea whilst the punditry trio of Ferdinand, Carragher and Henry have followed suit. Ferdinand gave his verdict on BT Sport: "There's a lot of reasons why people sit there and go 'wow, he’s just come here, been in a 100 days, sack the manager after three games, spend £250m, outlandish behaviour'.
"But I think one of the real things missed in the point is how to get money down the pyramid of football, a game like this if you can get all of the hoops to jump through. The mere fact he mentioned it [funding the pyramid] it’s in his mindset.
"Right or wrong, the fact he mentioned… speaking about that and the British people and media receive suggestions from people who come to the game and do what they have done recently, he’d of been better going to the powers that be round the table and see how it might’ve been received.
"I like the idea of an all-star game but there are so many games to consider, the insurance, the players, the welfare, I think also you’ve got to look at it might not be north vs south, it could be the Premier League all-star team vs a Champions League all-time team."
Carragher said via The Daily Mail: "I'll be honest with you, when I look at that statement I think is incredibly arrogant to speak about a league that you don't know.
"I'm not as strong as Thierry, I don't think we should ever discount ideas. Of course, we shouldn't. The Premier League is an international league with owners, managers, players and that's what makes it the best.
"'I don't particularly like those ideas but to come and speak like that when he's not even proved that he can run a Premier League club well yet. I mean he's sacked a manager after three games having spent £250million. Straight away you're thinking 'that's not right'.
"He's not made a great start. To speak like that when you've been somewhere for six weeks and talk about 'we're going to bring what we doing in other American sports', I just think of the American public would feel if an English Premier League football owner then went to the NFL and was saying 'we do this in the Premier League'.
"It is incredibly arrogant to speak like that, but even if he's coming up with ideas to improve league, listen, there's nothing wrong with ideas. I don't think many people agree with him.
"I don't, Thierry doesn't. Some people may differ with that. But to speak like that when you've been in the country for such a short time - and he hasn't even proven that he's a good owner of Chelsea yet.'
Henry concluded: "I just want to say something, to comment about the De Bruyne and Mo Salah [about the academy], yeah just learn your lesson and then come back and teach us something."
Chelsea fans: Are you in favour of Todd Boehly's all-star game idea? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below!
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