Premier League games being held abroad is inevitable, says London mayor

The proposal was first mooted by the Premier League in 2008 and was met with an immediate backlash from domestic supporters, with various organisations, including the Football Association, also making clear their objections.

GAMES ABROAD: Manchester City's head coach Pep Guardiola chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak celebrate with the Premier League trophy. Pic: AP Photo/Dave Thompson.

The idea of competitive English top-flight games taking place outside the country was first mooted by the Premier League in 2008 and was met with an immediate backlash from domestic supporters, with various organisations, including the Football Association, also making clear their objections.

The proposal, which would have seen clubs receive around £5m from their involvement in an additional “international round”, was quickly ditched only to rear its head this year when Jon Miller, an executive at NBC Sports, which hold the rights to screen the Premier League in the United States, outlined the network’s desire to hold matches there, with the Premier League’s chief executive, Richard Masters, stating soon after that the “door looks ajar” for such a move.