FIFPRO president SLAMS Chelsea for 'crazy' Palmer decision

Tom Weber

Updated: 7 Sept 2024 08:16 BST
4 min read

FIFAPRO president David Terrier has described Chelsea's omission of Cole Palmer from their UEFA Conference League squad as 'crazy.'

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The Blues made headlines on Thursday when they unveiled their roster for this season's Conference League group stage that will see them square up with Gent, Panathinaikos, FC Noah, Heidenheim, Astana and Shamrock Rovers.

Conspicuously absent from the squad was the only Chelsea men's player to be nominated for this year's Ballon d'Or: Cole Palmer. The Blues decided to leave out last season's superstar, as well as Wesley Fofana and Romeo Lavia, due to workload concerns.

The west London club's campaign could stretch into July 2025 due to the new Club World Cup and Chelsea felt as though they could get away with resting Palmer in Europe. They can also still register him for the knockout stages.

FIFPRO slam Chelsea - and the schedule

However, Chelsea's decision has come under fire from FIFPRO president David Terrier. The boss of football's players' union described Palmer's omission as 'crazy' and a sign of the increasingly absurd demands placed on players.

“It’s unbelievable," he told The Sun. "I didn’t understand why Chelsea would leave one of their best players out of this tournament. It’s crazy. But football is getting more crazy every day, whether that is with the calendar, the transfer system or the workload on players."

FIFPRO recently launched an investigation into the workload of modern footballers and sounded the alarm. "With the overload of matches and competitions, the calendar is no longer sustainable," Terrier thundered in L'Equipe.

"We have reached the edge of the precipice. We are neither against FIFA nor against UEFA. But we are here to say: 'We have been telling you for six years that there is a problem and the response you have given is to extend competitions.' This is not acceptable."

Terrier accused UEFA and FIFA of breaking domestic labour laws by constantly expanding tournaments and pointed to Barcelona star Pedri as a player whose career has been derailed by overworking.

"It's the difference in matches for 21-year-old players when you compare generations," he said. "Pedri had a season with 70 matches (at 17-18 years old), but he can't do it anymore because he's constantly suffering from injuries. We're destroying their careers, and by extension destroying the show."

Terrier echoes the comments of Man City star Bernardo Silva, who recently insisted: "I spend very little time with my family and friends. The amount of games we're subjected to is absolutely absurd."