Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso was taken aback following the team’s loss to Tottenham when he learned that news of Joao Pedro’s injury had been leaked through Fantasy Premier League (FPL). “I am not into the fantasy team thing, so I didn’t know that,” Alonso stated in response to questions about the incident.
Before the FPL deadline, accounts believed to be associated with Chelsea staff and a player, as well as a relative of another player, transferred out or benched Joao Pedro. FPL manager known as FPL Karim noted he tracked these selections and suspected an injury, saying, “There were rumours that a player was missing from Chelsea’s attack.”
Karim explained that upon checking Chelsea forward Morgan Rogers’ FPL team, he noticed that Rogers had sold Joao Pedro weeks earlier due to injury and never reintegrated him. The manager then looked at Rogers’ brother’s team and found similar changes, which led him to conclude that Joao Pedro might not play. After posting his findings online, the information quickly gained traction.
The confirmation of Joao Pedro’s injury came after the FPL deadline, impacting 1.7 million managers who had selected him as captain, a choice that typically doubles a player’s points. His absence surprised many after he had been seen training during the week leading up to the match, with Alonso eventually attributing the striker’s omission to “fluid on his knee.”
Managerial Responses to Information Leaks
Alonso is not the only Premier League manager becoming cautious about sharing team news during press conferences. Last month, he remarked, “I prefer not to give more information than needed,” following a prior defeat where injury concerns were kept silent. The rise of FPL, now played by over 11 million people, complicates matters, as many staff and family members are also participants.
By identifying FPL teams linked to players or staff, it has become possible to deduce information typically kept private. Previous incidents of such leaks include Jack Grealish’s absence from Aston Villa’s match against Leicester City, where coaching staff acknowledged being aware of the situation beforehand.
Social media often amplifies leaks, but some savvy FPL players may choose to withhold information for a competitive advantage. Experts like FPL Focal have noted that players are increasingly using aliases to avoid detection, further complicating the issue of information leaks.
Chelsea has faced challenges with information leaks in the past, notably during Liam Rosenior’s brief managerial stint, where critical injury details were divulged inappropriately. In light of these incidents, the club has since reinforced security around its training grounds and reminded players to be cautious about sharing sensitive information.
While clubs can advise against sharing details, keeping track of players’ family and friends’ activities remains a significant challenge. There is currently no league-wide prohibition against those involved in football participating in FPL, and such matters are typically addressed at the club level.
