Concern in the Premier League over Post-Season Tours
Premier League team players have contacted the PFA, the players’ union, to express their concerns about their participation in post-season tours, according to PFA chief executive Maheta Molango.Manchester United returned from a two-match trip to Asia on Saturday. This followed friendlies in Malaysia and Hong Kong, held a few hours after the last match of the 2024-25 Premier League season against Aston Villa on May 25.
In May 2024, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United faced each other in a post-season friendly in Melbourne, Australia, just three days after the final weekend of the 2023-24 Premier League campaign.
Manchester City has also traveled to play postseason matches in Canada and the United States in recent years.
Manchester United went on a postseason tour of Malaysia and Hong Kong shortly after the conclusion of the Premier League season.
Sources indicate that United’s trip to Asia last week generated £8 million for the club in participation rights. However, the tour was marred by controversy due to the team’s performance and the fact that Amad Diallo and Alejandro Garnacho were criticized for making obscene gestures to the fans.I think we are all aware and understand some of the financial dynamics that a club goes through, but the reality is that several players have expressed their concern. We [the PFA] have expressed our concern about those postseason tours.
Maheta Molango, PFA chief executive
Molango, speaking at a FIFPRO summit in Munich, accepted the need for clubs to maximize revenue, but also pointed out that players are increasingly unhappy with friendly matches abroad that reduce their rest periods.
“I’m not just talking about Man United, I’m talking in general about that situation and this confirms once again the need to adopt a holistic approach to the problem because it’s not going to be solved if you only attack a specific competition. You have to be able to adopt a holistic vision,” he added.
While postseason tours for Premier League teams remain relatively rare, preseason tournaments in Asia and North America have become the norm for high-profile teams in the major leagues.
Some will participate in the FIFA Club World Cup, a month-long tournament in the United States that begins on June 14, while four clubs (United, Everton, Bournemouth, and West Ham) will play in the Premier League Summer Series in the United States between July 26 and August 3.
Liverpool will play matches in Hong Kong and Japan, Arsenal will travel to Singapore and Hong Kong, and Newcastle and Spurs will face each other in South Korea. Molango also said that high-profile matches on pre-season tours are also becoming a cause for concern due to the intensity of facing national rivals in what are billed as friendly matches. “Because sometimes derbies are played, local derbies in the world, you can’t just show up at a derby in, you know, flip-flops,” Molango said. “Sometimes I think there’s this misunderstanding.” “Yes, it’s about resting, but then having the proper ability to prepare for that level of intensity and that level of matches.”
