PFA Chief Calls Palmer a Victim of 'Sick' Schedule
PFA CEO Maheta Molango says Cole Palmer is a victim of an unsustainable match calendar, as player withdrawals from international squads spark debate over welfare.
Professional Footballers' Association chief executive Maheta Molango has described Cole Palmer as a "victim" of a "sick" system that demands too much of players. Speaking at the Fifpro performance summit in London, Molango said Palmer's withdrawal from the England squad highlighted a match calendar that has become "survival of the fittest."
Palmer was one of five players – along with Marcus Rashford, Declan Rice, Kobbie Mainoo and Tino Livramento – to pull out of Thomas Tuchel's England squad ahead of the latest international window. Molango noted that Palmer would have played four consecutive summers had he gone to the World Cup, and questioned why he is missing, citing biology as the limit.
Tuchel responded to Palmer's withdrawal, which was for "load management," by saying the forward "misses too many opportunities." However, Molango criticised that stance, insisting players love representing England but cannot cheat biology.
Molango stressed the issue extends beyond England, pointing to recent withdrawals from other European teams, including Germany's Kai Havertz, Dutch striker Brian Brobbey and France captain Kylian Mbappe. He asked whether this is the football we want, where those who make us dream cannot perform, calling the system "sick" and driven by votes and power consolidation.
The PFA and global players' union Fifpro have long warned about the congested calendar. Molango wants a mandatory three-week summer break and a three-week retraining period each summer. Premier League chief football officer Rebecca Caplehorn said she supports the idea conceptually but that it does not fit the current calendar without regulatory change.
Image: Getty Images / BBC Sport
