RismadarVoice Reporters
November 9, 2026
Chelsea Football Club have warned employees against inadvertently disclosing confidential team information through Fantasy Premier League (FPL) following concerns that forward João Pedro’s injury was revealed before an official announcement.
According to BBC Sport, the Premier League club circulated an internal email reminding staff of the risks associated with using privileged information when selecting players for fantasy football competitions and other public gaming platforms.
The warning followed Chelsea’s 2-0 home defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, during which Pedro was unexpectedly absent from the matchday squad.
The Brazilian forward was subsequently confirmed to have sustained a thigh injury.
Several prominent Fantasy Premier League content creators claimed they had identified suspicious changes involving Chelsea personnel and forward Morgan Rogers, who reportedly removed Pedro from their fantasy teams before the match.
The alleged changes occurred before Chelsea publicly confirmed the player’s unavailability, raising concerns that confidential injury information could have been unintentionally disclosed.
However, there has been no confirmed finding that the individuals deliberately leaked team information.
Asked about the controversy following the Tottenham defeat, Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso said he was unaware of the alleged disclosures.
Alonso has generally been cautious when discussing player injuries and availability during media conferences since taking charge of the club.
The latest incident follows previous concerns about confidential team information becoming public before official announcements.
During former manager Liam Rosenior’s tenure, Chelsea’s team selections were reportedly disclosed ahead of both legs of their Champions League encounter against Paris Saint-Germain.
Another incident involved former Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella’s barber, who reportedly shared information about the unavailability of Pedro and Cole Palmer before a match against Brighton.
Despite the latest concerns, Chelsea are not expected to introduce additional restrictions on staff participation in Fantasy Premier League.
The club reportedly considers the incident isolated and believes greater awareness among employees and players can prevent similar occurrences.
Fantasy Premier League has attracted more than 11 million participants worldwide, making it a significant part of modern football culture.
Its popularity has also raised questions about how footballers, coaches and club employees should handle confidential information when participating in public competitions.
Although the Premier League maintains strict rules against gambling-related misconduct, it does not have specific regulations governing participation in Fantasy Premier League by club personnel.
Consequently, individual clubs are largely responsible for establishing internal guidelines to protect sensitive team information.
