Despite talk of Premier League matches being played overseas in future, particularly in the United States, Liverpool’s owner has “no interest” in that.
The prospect of Premier League matches being played outside the UK has become increasingly talked about in recent years.
Last week London Mayor Sadiq Khan questioned “why fans in those countries should not be able to benefit from competitive matches”, while Premier League chief executive Richard Masters argued “the door appears open for this to happen”.
Given that Liverpool are owned by Americans and are currently on a pre-season tour of the US, it is no surprise that Fenway Sports Group is one of the companies that will appreciate the gesture.
Chairman Tom Werner even said last month that he was “committed” to playing Premier League games in New York, but in the same interview John W Henry insisted that it was “not something I advocate”.
Liverpool chief executive Bill Hogan said FSG’s official position was that “it’s not something we’re interested in”.
“Tom was speaking privately in that case,” Hogan told The Athletic, reflecting on Werner’s comments.
“Shortly thereafter, I believe John reportedly said that it’s not something we’re actively considering or pursuing.”
When asked if he thought things were heading in the direction of the fight taking place in the United States, Hogan replied: “No, I don’t think so.”
“From our point of view, at the end of the day it’s not Liverpool’s decision and our owners have said it’s not something we’re interested in.”
There is clearly a huge interest in the Premier League in the US, but the idea of catering to those fans with neutral venue matches is highly controversial.
At a time when the financial situations of certain clubs have called into question the health of the league, at least a level playing field of 19 home games and 19 away games is maintained.
Realistically, disrupting that in pursuit of greater profits would be going too far even for the Premier League’s elite.