Quote of the Day: Alexi Lalas on the EPL’s Foreign Plans

By: Laurie | February 8th, 2008

Yesterday Daryl talked about the EPL’s plans to add a game to the Premier League season, with that game played outside of the UK to build the EPL’s global brand.

(”Build the EPL Global Brand” = Sell more Derby County jerseys to fans like you and me.)

Today we have the LA Galaxy’s GM, Alexi Lalas, being quoted on the subject:

“English teams have been coming here for years, although not for competitive games, so yes, it’s great that the games could help to decide championships or who goes down. But I caution you folks, because there are a handful of ‘super clubs’ in the EPL, but when you get into the mid and lower tier, those brands — as strong as they may be domestically in the UK — have much less value here. Just because it is EPL does not mean it is going to sell.” – Alexi Lalas, the general manager of the Los Angeles Galaxy.

The great Alexi has spoken. Alexi knows all. EPL, beware.

What do you think? Is he right?

(101 Great Goals has more interesting quotes on the topic here.)

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Category: English Premier League, Europe, World Football

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Blue Devil Brad

:-P
got it.
Mickey

Man U and Bayern played at Cleveland Municpal Stadium (a/k/a "The Mistake On the Lake") in the late 80's - no idea about attendance stats but the lower seats were sold out.
joejoejoe

You missed the best part of the Lalas quote: "We do not have a monopoly on crap soccer — it’s played all over the world."

You don't have a monopoly on crap Alexi but you're surely top of the table.
Laurie

@Brad

/sarcasm.

There. Does that clarify? ;-)
Blue Devil Brad

"Just because it is EPL does not mean it is going to sell."
Sure, and just because it's in your starting lineup, doesn't mean you should pay it a 6 figure salary...

I'm a fan from back in his Revolution days, but Laurie, I'm surprised that you would say Alexi knows all at this point.
http://lagalaxy.theoffside.com...
Shazback

Sorry, bluemeanies, but you must be mistaken... Man U's only game against Bayern munich in the USA was in Soldier Field, Chicago, in front of a crowd of 58,181... (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/h...
So that's a sell-out in my books, not a "ghost town".

So yes, the EPL might not be very successful if they hosted every year in the same 10 towns (or even the same 10 countries). But think about it. China have at least 4 towns that would fill any stadium should there be a EPL game. Japan has at least 2. Malasia and Indonesia have a few between them. The Gulf has loads of countries ready to pay lots of money for such a game. Australia, the US, Mexico, all the European countries, South Africa (after 2010, nice stadia), other African nations, South America...

The EPL could play only once every 4 seasons in the USA. No problem. They won't oversell. And they can choose the teams that go to the USA so that there are enough American players on the pitch or enough "stars" to pull crowds.
bluemeanies

Shazback- First year- maybe. Year two and on the evidence would suggest that it would start falling appart. For example Giorgio Chinalgia's Champions World. Apart from being run by a criminal showboat his exhibitions pulled well the first year and then petered out. I believe there are pictures of Man-U vs Real Madrid selling out Seattle?? one year then the next year same location Man-U vs Bayern Munich being a virtual ghost town. The big mexican teams have drawn traditionally well but attendance at these events are declining slightly as more and more exhibitions are scheduled. I think Chivas G even failed to fill the Rose Bowl in LA one time last year. And it is highly likely that the Mexican league is more popular in the states than the BPL just underground due to language.

I think you'll also find that whatever popularity lower table teams find in the US is largely due to their yank contigents. Fulham would draw well if they were a) Still Fulhamerica and b) still in the premiereship, but Sunderland is a complete dud.
Shazback

However stupid it sounds, I'd bet a Fulham-Reading match would get a better audience than any MLS regular season game. Perhaps even more than the playoff games.

The idea's stupid, and I'm against it, but the EPL could very well make 10 games that would pull fans : Man U, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Everton, Man C, Tottenham, Aston Villa, Portsmouth, Newcastle... Give the "smaller" ones better opponents (Bolton for Portsmouth, Middlesbrough for Aston Villa, Blackburn for Newcastle) and you're set : 10 games that are able to pull crowds pretty much anywhere.

Sure, Derby-Fulham isn't going to pull crowds. And that's why the EPL won't allow that to be one of the "international fixtures".

I'm all for ditching the 39th game though. Useless, time-consuming, useless, boring, useless, exhibition matches, that could ruin the sporting purpose of the EPL.