COLE PALMER’S exclusion from Chelsea’s European squad is ‘crazy’, says Europe’s top player boss.
Fifpro president David Terrier also believes it sums up how the increasing demands heaped upon the stars are “disrespecting” football.
Chelsea left their best player out of their Conference League squad to “manage workload” ahead of what could be the longest season in history.
But former Metz defender Terrier, who played once for West Ham, said: “It’s unbelievable. I didn’t understand why Chelsea would leave one of their best players out of this tournament.
“It’s crazy. But football is getting more crazy every day, whether that is with the calendar, the transfer system or the workload on players.
“The fans want to see the best players on the pitch. The people who pay to watch football on TV deserve to see the best players.
“Cole Palmer is a top player. I want to see him playing in every game for Chelsea. If not then the spectacle of football is diminished.
“It is disrespectful to football that clubs are now having to manage the loads for players like him.”
Chelsea made the decision based on their involvement in five competitions.
In addition to Europe there is the Premier League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup and the expanded Club World Cup.
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That runs from June 13 to July 15, gobbling up almost all of the traditional rest period for players.
Palmer, 22, can be included in the squad should Chelsea reach the knockout stage of the Conference League.
Former Chelsea forward Eden Hazard suggested an annual 50-game limit for players as a compromise.
Fifpro feel compelled to canvass members about boycotting the Club World Cup.
Terrier said: “In England, France, Spain, all player contracts finish in June.
“So if the Club World Cup had been played this summer, Kylian Mbappe would have started it contracted to Paris Saint-Germain and finished it as a Real Madrid player. It is stupid.”
CHELSEA are a circus — aren’t they?, writes Troy Deeney.
But the bigger concern should be if somehow, some way, Todd Boehly’s insane master-plan brings about success this season.
Finish in the top four. Win a trophy like the FA Cup.
He will then turn around and say: “See, it works” and all of a sudden, other clubs will begin considering copying this mad model to try and compete in the Premier League.
Before you know it, there will be a bigger divide between the top clubs and the rest and this country’s top flight will become something we have been fighting against — a Super League.
The smaller sides and promoted teams will be wiped out by the elite and will end up saying, ‘What’s the point?’
Football as we know it will change, and there will be no going back.
As a neutral, you don’t want to wish failure on a club or a regime, but it’s depressing to think about.
We should almost be looking at it in amazement — the owners have come in with this model and they’ve treated it as if they are buying stocks and shares, not players or human beings.
Boehly has wiped away any sense of sentiment or old-school values from that club and the worrying thing is that he doesn’t seem to care.
Does he even like football?
Read Troy Deeney’s hard-hitting opinion on Boehly’s Chelsea shambles in full.
Or check out all of Troy’s columns on SunSport.
