Chelsea's Cole Palmer has become the latest casualty of an unsustainable match schedule, according to Professional Footballers' Association chief executive Maheta Molango, who branded the current system a "victim" of a congested calendar that prioritises corporate interests over player welfare. Palmer was among five England internationals—alongside Marcus Rashford, Declan Rice, Kobbie Mainoo, and Tino Livramento—who withdrew from Thomas Tuchel's squad during the recent international window, prompting sharp criticism from football's governing bodies over the toll on elite performers.
Speaking at the Fifpro performance summit in London, Molango highlighted the paradox facing modern footballers, questioning why players would voluntarily step away from representing their country when national team selection represents "the single most proud moment a player has." He pointed directly to Palmer's situation as emblematic of a broader crisis, noting that the forward "would have played four consecutive summers in a row had he gone to the World Cup." Despite England manager Tuchel suggesting Palmer "misses too many opportunities," Molango defended the player's decision, arguing that biology cannot be defied: "They love to play for England. They love to play for their national team. But unfortunately your body puts a limit to it."
The problem extends far beyond English shores. Molango identified an emerging trend of high-profile European withdrawals, citing Germany's Kai Havertz, Dutch striker Brian Brobbey, and France captain Kylian Mbappe as evidence of a systemic failure. He characterised the current landscape as a "sick" and "ill" system fundamentally designed around "obtaining votes and power consolidation" rather than player welfare. To address the crisis, Molango has called for mandatory three-week summer breaks alongside dedicated "retraining" periods annually.
While Premier League chief football officer Rebecca Caplehorn expressed conceptual support for Molango's proposals, she acknowledged the practical barriers preventing implementation. "It's something we're really supportive of, but the challenge is that it just doesn't fit into the current calendar," Caplehorn said, emphasising that without broader regulatory and calendar reforms, delivering the proposed six-week break remains impossible. The standoff underscores the structural obstacles facing efforts to prioritise player recovery in modern professional football.