LIVERPOOL, England (AFP) - Plans to stage English Premier League (EPL) games overseas are not a good idea, according to Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez.
The Premier League announced last week it was considering plans to extend the season to 39 games with the extra matches taking place in five cities overseas, starting in 2011.
But the idea has met with resistance from fans in England, the British media and football federations in Asia and Australia, as well as FIFA president Sepp Blatter.
Benitez has become the first coach of one of the Premier League's so-called 'big four' of Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool, to firmly oppose proposals to play matches overseas when he revealed that both he and club chief executive Rick Parry believed the concept to extend the season to 39 games from 2010-11 was flawed.
"I don't like it," the Spaniard told the Times newspaper. "I think to play another game in another country is not right for this competition. You must play here in England with the same opportunities for everyone."
He added: "I've talked to Rick Parry about it and we think the idea is not the best."
Parry told Liverpool's official website later Friday: "Our goal remains to build a bigger stadium in Liverpool to enable more of our supporters to watch.
"As Rafa has already explained, he and I have discussed the Premier League's proposal for a 39th game and we both have concerns such a move could damage the integrity of the competition.
"I expressed these thoughts at the time and still hold them today. There's already an ongoing debate about a potential winter break and we are constantly talking about the demands being made on players these days.
"You have to look forward, but the popularity of the Premier League is based around the country's top teams playing in England," Parry, himself a former Premier League chief executive, added.
"It's vital that the Premier League listen to key people both here and abroad and the reaction so far has been a negative one in many ways."
The draft proposal, which all 20 Premier League clubs have voted to consider, could see the top-five teams from the previous season seeded to avoid one another.
Benitez, whose side would be expected to be one of those seeds, dismissed the plan as inherently unfair.
"The seeding idea is the reason I don't like it," he said. "It's important to give everyone the same opportunities.
"If it's just about money, you can organise a tournament in Hong Kong with the top four if you want and you'll have the money that you want, but to change the competition in this way is not fair.
"It's not a good idea and I don't think it's a solution for anyone."
FIFA president Blatter has vowed to torpedo the plans, saying the so-called 'international round' will never take place while he remains in office.
