Wayne Rooney has said he doesn’t think the concept of an all-star game would work in the Premier League.
D.C. United head coach Rooney is set to lead the MLS side in Wednesday night’s MLS All-Star Game at Audi Field, with Arsenal the opponent.
The concept of an all-star game is ingrained in American sports culture, but other parts of the world have mostly stayed away from incorporating the idea into their own leagues.
Some, including Chelsea owner Todd Boehly, have suggested that a Premier League version of the MLS All-Star Game would be a welcome spectacle for fans, but Rooney believes there would be too much pushback from coaches to make it a viable idea.
“I don’t think it would work,” he said at a press conference. “Everything over here (United States) is different, the culture is different. It’s a huge game here. But, I think in England, it’s just the rivalry between teams [is too strong].
“The coaches will complain about players playing too much and I just don’t think it will work in England. Over here, it’s part of this league, it’s great to be a part of, but I think in England it wouldn’t work.”
For his part, Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta seemed to agree with Rooney’s point about fixture congestion.
“For me as an Arsenal coach, to play against the MLS, that’s great,” Arteta said. “I love the idea. I love the experience and I think it’s great. If you asked me the other way around, depending on where it was in the middle of the season, probably I [wouldn’t be] that happy to let our players go.
“But I think it’s great. I think it’s great for the players to gather together the most talented players in the same team. I think if I was a player, for sure I would want to experience that.”
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