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Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso expressed surprise after his team’s defeat to Tottenham when questioned about whether Joao Pedro’s injury had leaked through the Fantasy Premier League game. Accounts tracked by FPL experts and believed to belong to club staff, a player, and a relative of a player appeared to transfer out or bench the striker ahead of the deadline.
How FPL Users Track Leaks
A fantasy manager known online as FPL Karim explained that he identified the missing player by tracking selections made by a relative of Chelsea forward Morgan Rogers. After noticing the relative sold Joao Pedro and brought in Nicolas Jackson unexpectedly, Karim posted about it online, and the information quickly spread.
The injury confirmation only surfaced after the FPL deadline passed, leaving 1.7 million managers with Joao Pedro as captain. Alonso later explained that the player missed the match due to fluid on his thigh, despite having been photographed training during the week.
Growing Privacy Concerns
Alonso is among several managers who have become increasingly guarded in media conferences, noting last month that he prefers not to give more information than needed. With over 11 million people playing Fantasy Premier League, the game’s open database allows sleuths to inspect leagues and teams linked to football personnel to uncover training ground secrets.
A prominent FPL tracking expert known as FPL Focal told BBC Sport that some players have started using aliases to avoid detection. “The FPL leaderboard is completely public, so it is straightforward to look players up. Verifying that an account genuinely belongs to a player takes a bit more time,” the expert said.
This issue is not new, with previous high-profile cases involving Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish in 2021, which led former Villa boss Dean Smith to reportedly ban club figures from playing FPL. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola previously described such leaks as unethical and unprofessional, while similar incidents have been reported across several other top-flight clubs.
Chelsea’s Battle Against Information Leaks
Chelsea previously faced significant information leaks during Liam Rosenior’s tenure, including instances where a player’s barber revealed squad absences ahead of Champions League fixtures. In response, the club reminded players about sharing information and enhanced training ground security by installing new fencing around pitches.
While clubs can regulate employee behavior and issue reminders, monitoring the actions of players’ friends and family members remains a significant challenge. There is currently no league-wide prohibition preventing football personnel from participating in the game, with the Premier League leaving such matters entirely up to individual clubs.
