Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola agrees with Jurgen Klopp on All-Star North vs South game

Controversial idea proposed by Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly has provoked debate

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and Liverpool counterpart Jurgen Klopp (The FA via Getty Images)

Pep Guardiola has echoed Jurgen Klopp's reservations about the proposed All-Star Premier League game between North and South XIs, put forward this week by Todd Boehly.

The Chelsea co-owner suggested the idea while speaking at a conference in New York, claiming that the revenue generated could be redistributed through the English football pyramid.

The idea was laughed off by Liverpool manager Klopp, who questioned when such a game would be scheduled in English football's congested calendar.

"When he finds a date for that, he can call me," Klopp said. "Does he want to bring the Harlem Globetrotters as well and let them play against a football team?"

Guardiola was initially reluctant to add his voice to the debate over the proposal, but shares Klopp's scepticism over when any All-Star game could be played.

"I don’t have an opinion. Not at all," he said, adding: "I agree with Jurgen. If they give me the dates we should play it’d be nice, but I don't have an opinion."

Boehly owns shares in the LA Lakers in the NBA and the Los Angeles Dodgers in Major League Baseball and believes that the Premier League could "take a little bit of a lesson" from American sports.

“People are talking about more money for the pyramid; in the MLB All-Star game this year we made $200m from a Monday and a Tuesday," the Chelsea co-owner told the Salt thought leaders conference.

"So we’re thinking we could do a North versus South All-Star game for the Premier League, for whatever the pyramid needed quite easily.”