Despite talk of Premier League fixtures being held abroad in the future, and namely in the United States, Liverpool’s owners are “not interested” in doing so.
The prospect of holding Premier League games outside of the UK has become an increasingly popular topic in recent years.
Last week, London mayor Sadiq Khan argued its case, asking “why can’t their fans in those countries benefit from a competitive game?”, while Premier League chief executive Richard Masters has claimed that the “door looks ajar” to do so.
Given Liverpool’s owners are American and they are currently on a pre-season tour of the United States, it stands to reason that Fenway Sports Group would be among those to appreciate that stance.
Chairman Tom Werner even stated last month that he was “determined” to see a Premier League game hosted in New York, though in the same interview John W. Henry insisted that was “not something that I advocate.”
FSG’s official stance, according to Liverpool’s chief executive Bill Hogan, is that it is “not something we’re interested in.”
“In that case, Tom was speaking personally,” Hogan told The Athletic, reflecting on Werner’s comments.
“I think not too far after that John was quoted as saying that’s not something we’re actively looking at or pursuing.”
Asked whether he sees the situation heading towards fixtures being played in the US, Hogan replied: “No, I don’t believe so.
“From our perspective, ultimately, that’s not a Liverpool decision and our owners have said that’s not something we’re interested in.”
While there is clearly massive interest in the Premier League from those Stateside, the notion of accommodating those fans with a live fixture on a neutral ground is hugely controversial.
At a time when the finances of certain clubs drags the integrity of the league into question, there at least remains a level playing field of 19 games played at home, 19 played away.
To disrupt that in order to, realistically, chase a further payday should be a step too far even for the Premier League‘s elite.
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