Could Premier League managers exist side-by-side on a regular basis…
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal and Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho have become renowned for being difficult in press conferences, so would they ever be able to co-exist in a joint Premier League interview?
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Would they patiently wait for each other, and take it turns to answer their respective questions? Or would it end up like Steve Bruce and Gus Poyet – coming to blows like they did on the touchline during the recent game between Hull City and Sunderland.
According to a recent report, the AFL – or Australian Football League – chief executive Gillon McLachlan wants to prevent the concept from being adopted in Aussie Rules. That comes after Mark Brayshaw, the chief executive of the AFL Coaches’ Association, held talks over a deal that would see it introduced.
Several senior coaches have also expressed their concern. Collingwood president Eddie McGuire said: “There’s enough fragmentation of the footy income without the coaches’ union jumping in and getting involved. I wouldn’t have thought at Collingwood we would be selling our intellectual property to the coaches’ association.”
It’s certainly hard to see the idea ever catching on in the Premier League. While it could make for entertaining, boxing-like square-ups between respective managers, it would surely detract from the informative purpose of the interviews being given in the first place.
In the AFL it appears to be a matter of money, with the proposed deal expected to be worth A$500,000 (€357,000/$391,000) per year, and while the Premier League has always been extremely financially orientated, it’s hard to see them going for the prospect of encouraging reality show bust-ups for the world to see.
It sends the wrong message, and with the Premier League already under pressure to control managers – sending out regular fines to bosses who have spoken out in interviews – this would surely be viewed as something more dangerous than exciting.