Prem players 'express concern' over post-season tours

Players from Premier League teams person contacted the PFA, the players' union, to "express concern" implicit their engagement successful post-season tours, PFA CEO Maheta Molango, has said.

Manchester United returned from a two-game travel to Asia connected Saturday aft flying retired for friendlies successful Malaysia and Hong Kong wrong hours of the club's last Premier League fixture of the 2024-25 play against Aston Villa connected May 25.

In May 2024, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United met successful a post-season affable successful Melbourne, Australia, conscionable 3 days aft the last play of the 2023-24 Premier League campaign.

Manchester City person besides travelled for post-season games successful Canada successful the United States successful caller years.

Sources person told ESPN that United's travel to Asia past week earned the nine £8 cardinal ($10.8m) successful quality fees, but the circuit was mired successful contention owed to the team's performances and Amad Diallo and Alejandro Garnacho were some criticised for making obscene gestures to supporters.

But portion accepting the request for clubs to maximise gross streams, speaking astatine a FIFPRO acme successful Munich, PFA CEO Molango said that players are progressively unhappy astatine overseas affable games reducing their remainder periods.

"I deliberation we're each mindful and recognize immoderate of the fiscal dynamics that a nine goes through, but the world is that rather a fewer players person expressed concern," Molango said. "We [PFA] person expressed interest astir those post-season tours.

"I'm not conscionable talking astir Man United, I'm talking successful wide astir that concern and this erstwhile again confirms the request of taking a holistic attack to the occupation due to the fact that you are not going to lick it if you conscionable onslaught 1 circumstantial competition. You request to beryllium capable to instrumentality a holistic view."

While post-season tours for Premier League teams stay comparatively rare, pre-season tournaments successful Asia and North America person go the norm for high-profile teams successful the large leagues.

Some volition enactment successful the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup, a month-long tourney successful the United States which begins connected June 14, portion 4 clubs -- United, Everton, Bournemouth and West Ham -- volition contention the Premier League Summer Series successful the US betwixt July 26 and Aug 3.

Champions Liverpool volition play games successful Hong Kong and Japan, Arsenal volition question to Singapore and Hong Kong and Newcastle and Spurs volition conscionable each different successful South Korea.

Molango said that the high-profile fixtures connected pre-season tours is besides becoming a substance of interest owed to the strength of facing home rivals successful what are billed arsenic affable games.

"Because you play derbies sometimes, section derbies going connected successful the world, you cannot conscionable crook up astatine a derby with just, you know, with flip flops," Molango said. "Sometimes I deliberation there's this misunderstanding.

"Yes it's astir resting, but past having a due quality to physique up to that level of strength and that level of games."