Maheta Molango, the head of the Professional Footballers’ Association, has harshly criticised the elite football calendar after visiting Chelsea’s training camp following their Club World Cup win. He said the team looked completely worn out. The executive was very worried about the players’ health and safety, especially Cole Palmer’s situation, as the England international could be facing his third summer in a row without enough rest.
The Blues had just finished a tough schedule that included their Conference League campaign, domestic competitions, and the larger Club World Cup format held in the US during the summer. Molango spoke at the FT Business of Football Summit in London and asked if the way football is going right now is what everyone really wants for the sport.
The head of the PFA specifically mentioned Palmer, who was involved in 33 Premier League goals in the 2023–24 season and 23 in the next season. However, he has had injury trouble this season and has only played in 19 of Chelsea’s 42 games across all competitions. Palmer had a busy schedule. He played for England at Euro 2024, won the Club World Cup withChelsea in the summer of 2025, and might go to the 2026 World Cup if Three Lions manager Thomas Tuchel picks him.
Molango spoke passionately about common myths about elite players, focusing on the human cost of football’s busy schedule. He said:
“People say he’s a millionaire,yeah he is, but it doesn’t give you an extra lung or an extra leg, & come to a stage where you know, ‘I want to see Cole Palmer on the pitch because he’s the one who makes me dream’.”
The head of the PFA said he was upset that fans have to pay full price for tickets, but often get worse performances when players have to manage their own workload:
“And the reality is that the fans pay right now 100 per cent of the ticket and a lot of time they get 70 per cent if they’re lucky of the show or 60 because players start regulating themselves.”
Chelsea Confident In Meeting UEFA Financial Regulations Despite Record Losses
Reports say that Chelsea believe they will follow UEFA rules even though they have lost a lot of money. According to UEFA’s European Club Finance and Investment Landscape report released on Thursday, Chelsea Football Club have had a shocking £350 million loss before taxes for the 2024–25 financial year.
This is the largest loss in English football history. Barcelona’s £484 million loss from the 2020–21 season is the only loss that is bigger than Chelsea’s record-breaking loss worldwide. Even though the numbers are scary, people at Stamford Bridge say the club are still making money and are sure they can follow UEFA’s strict financial rules.
Chelsea were fined £27 million in July 2025 for breaking UEFA’s rules about the ratio of football earnings to squad costs. If they don’t meet their financial goals over the next four years, they could face an additional £51 million in fines.