Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has blasted Chelsea owner Todd Boehly's idea for a Premier League All-Star game involving a northern and southern team.
The American - who also co-owns the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team and owns a 27% state in the Los Angeles Lakers - believes that the idea would generate a hefty chunk of money for the English football pyramid.
All-Star games already exist in several American sports, notably the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL, and Boehly hopes that consideration will be given to the idea in England.
"Ultimately, I hope the Premier League takes a little bit of a lesson out of the American sports teams and really start to think about why don't we do a tournament with the bottom four teams," Boehly told a business conference in the United States.
"People are talking about why don't we have more money for the pyramid? MLB did their all star game this year. They made $200m (£174.1m) from a Monday and a Tuesday, you could do a North vs South all-star game from the Premier League to fund the pyramid very easily."
© Reuters
However, the 48-year-old's idea did not go down at all well with Klopp, who sarcastically hit back with the suggestion that Boehly should also invite the Harlem Globetrotters to take part.
"He doesn't hesitate, he doesn't wait long!" Klopp told reporters at a press conference following Liverpool's 2-1 win over Ajax in the Champions League. "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.
"Does he want to bring the Harlem Globetrotters as well and let them play a football team? 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."
Furthermore, the Reds boss - who remained slightly taken aback by Boehly's suggestion - believes that Premier League fans would not enjoy the spectacle if an All-Star game is coined.
© Reuters
"I'm not sure people want to see that. Imagine that, [Manchester] United, Liverpool, Everton, Newcastle players all on one team that's not the national team, just a north team. Interesting game. All the London guys together. Arsenal, Tottenham. Great. Did he really say it? Interesting," Klopp added.
Liverpool have already seen two Premier League games postponed this season in the wake of Queen Elizabeth II's death, as the visit of Wolverhampton Wanderers to Anfield was called off as a mark of respect last weekend.
The Merseyside giants were due to travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea on Sunday evening, but that encounter has also been postponed due to security concerns as police forces prioritise the Queen's state funeral.
Goals from Mohamed Salah and Joel Matip either side of a Mohammed Kudus equaliser saw Liverpool run out 2-1 winners over Ajax on Tuesday night, as they claimed their first Champions League win of the season in Group A.
Liverpool will next be in action against Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield on October 1 following the international break.
Ben Knapton
