PFA chief calls football calendar 'sick' and flags Cole Palmer’s workload crisis | OneFootball

PFA chief executive Maheta Molango has branded the global football calendar "sick", arguing player welfare is being sacrificed and highlighting Cole Palmer as a case in point.

The row over burnout intensified after a wave of withdrawals from international duty, with Palmer among five England players to pull out of Thomas Tuchel’s latest squad. According to Goal.com, Palmer stepped aside for load management, a move that has divided opinion.

Speaking at the Fifpro performance summit in London, Molango questioned an industry in which leading players feel unable to answer national-team call-ups, asking what has gone wrong.

He stressed the toll on young talents, noting Palmer would have been playing four consecutive summers had he gone to the World Cup, and said biology sets hard limits, "You cannot cheat biology".

England manager Thomas Tuchel expressed frustration as he tries to bed in his ideas, saying the forward was missing too many chances to cement his place with the Three Lions.

Molango warned that if the calendar keeps stretching, the product will deteriorate and the stars who inspire supporters will not be able to perform.

He urged reform, proposing a mandatory three-week summer break followed by a three-week retraining period, and argued recent years have produced a system driven by votes and power consolidation rather than player health.

He warned the cycle will only worsen as new club and international competitions are added unless that recovery time is protected.

Source: Goal.com

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”