The Times have revealed that the Football Association could decide to ban clubs from staging post-season friendlies after it was announced that Tottenham and Newcastle will face off against one another in Australia at the end of the campaign.
It was announced last month that Tottenham will take on the Magpies at the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground in a post-season friendly on May 22, just three days after the two clubs end their Premier League campaigns.
The decision to force the two sets of players to make a 21,000-mile round trip immediately after a long and demanding season has raised some eyebrows, with England boss Gareth Southgate admitting a couple of weeks ago that he is concerned about the likes of James Maddison making that trip (Daily Mail).
FA could prevent future post-season friendlies
The Times have now reported that the friendly at Melbourne has raised concerns about player welfare at the top levels of the FA, particularly given that it involves players who will have to compete in Euro 2024 and Copa America just weeks later.
The outlet says that the Professional Footballers’ Association have expressed their concerns about the demands that are being put on players so soon after a long and arduous season.
As a result, it is alleged that the FA could decide to restrict club friendlies between the end of the season and the beginning of July moving forward.
Spurs Web Opinion
If the governing bodies do not act, we will see an increasing number of clubs play post-season friendlies over the coming years, given that the revenue numbers have become increasingly important in the FFP era. One can understand why the FA would want to step in and nip this in the bud.
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