The Professional Footballers' Association have poured cold water on Chelsea owner Todd Boehly's idea for an All-Star game featuring some of the Premier League's brightest talents, because there is simply no room in the calendar to play it.
Boehly suggested on Tuesday that players from all clubs could come together to play in two regional sides, as they do in several US sports, with the money potentially going to help clubs further down the pyramid.
"People are talking about more money for the pyramid, in the MLB All-Star game this year we made $200m (£173m) from a Monday and a Tuesday," said Boehly at a 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."
The idea has been met with a short shrift from many, and the PFA have now claimed that it simply isn't workable.
A PFA spokesman said, via The Times : “Football can’t just keep forcing more and more into an already crowded schedule.
“We work closely with union colleagues in the major US sports and so we understand the value and the popularity of the All Star events. Ideas shouldn’t be dismissed just because they might be concepts we’re not familiar with, especially if they have the potential to raise funds that can be used for benefit right across football.
“Ultimately, though, we can’t just keep adding fixtures and events without a proper and wide-reaching review of the calendar.”
Several clubs are already facing a fixture pile-up this season after all matches last weekend were postponed as a mark of respect for Queen Elizabeth II.
Two more matches, Manchester United against Chelsea at Old Trafford and Chelsea versus Liverpool at Stamford Bridge, have already been postponed this weekend due to the need to redistribute police resources to help with the Queen's lying in state and funeral.
Arsenal's Europa League match at home to PSV Eindhoven on Thursday has also been rescheduled, and in total eight Premier League clubs now need to find dates in their packed calendars to fit in two fixtures, with the majority of those also playing in Europe.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp laughed off Boehly's idea after his side's Champions League win over Ajax on Tuesday.
"Does he want to bring the Harlem Globetrotters as well?" joked Klopp.
"When he finds a date for that he can call me. In American sports these players have four-month breaks.
"Maybe he can explain that. I'm not sure people want to see that - [Manchester] United players, Liverpool players, Everton players all together. North-east too, so Newcastle. It is not the national team. All the London guys together, Arsenal, Tottenham, great. Did he really say it?"
