Cole Palmer: Chelsea forward "victim" of "sick" system, says PFA chief
PFA chief Maheta Molango has labeled Chelsea forward Cole Palmer a 'victim' of an unsustainable football calendar. The comments follow a wave of withdrawals from international squads, sparking a debate on player welfare and the physical limits of professional athletes.
Why it matters
The issue of player burnout and the congested match schedule is a major point of contention between players' unions and governing bodies in global football.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Chelsea forward Cole Palmer withdrew from the recent England squad
Sports News Correspondent Published 29 September 2026 Cole Palmer is the "victim" of a "sick" system that is expecting too much of players, according to Professional Footballers' Association chief executive Maheta Molango.
Molango said Palmer's recent withdrawal from the England squad highlighted a match calendar that is unsustainable and has become the "survival of the fittest".
Five players – Palmer, Marcus Rashford, Declan Rice, Kobbie Mainoo and Tino Livramento , external - pulled out of Thomas Tuchel's squad ahead of the latest international window.
"When England see five players who need to withdraw when the single most proud moment a player has is to be called up for the national team, you just ask yourself, what's wrong about the industry?" Molango said at the Fifpro performance summit in London.
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