Maheta Molango, chief executive of the Professional Footballers’ Association, has raised concerns about the impact of post-season tours on player welfare, citing the added workload immediately after a demanding campaign. Manchester United’s controversial trip to Malaysia and Hong Kong exemplifies a trend that some fear is harming athletes’ health.
“We’re all mindful and understand some of the financial dynamics the club goes through, but the reality is that quite a few players have expressed concern,” Molango said. United’s tour descended into farce when they were booed after losing to an Asean All Stars side in Kuala Lumpur, while forward Amad Diallo faced criticism for raising his middle finger to fans, later explaining he was responding to insults aimed at his mother. The club expects to generate around £10m from the excursion.
Molango also questioned pre-season tours that pit traditional rivals against one another when players are still building fitness. Arsenal and Tottenham will meet in Hong Kong next month, the first north London derby outside the UK. “You cannot just turn up at the derby with flip-flops,” he said, emphasising the need for proper preparation.
No solution to the bloated schedule is in sight, though progress is being made with a formal complaint tabled by European Leagues, La Liga and global players’ union Fifpro last October against Fifa’s imposition of the match calendar. While Fifa has begun engaging with complainants, who accuse the governing body of “abusive and anti-competitive” acts in imposing events like the expanded Club World Cup starting 15 June, a quick agreement is unlikely.
Molango stressed that any solution must be holistic, warning that domestic competitions may suffer if cuts target only international events. “This once again confirms the need of taking a holistic approach to the problem because you aren’t going to solve it if you just attack one specific competition,” he said.
