FPL: Chelsea warn staff against leaking team news

Chelsea has cautioned its employees against unintentionally revealing confidential team information through their participation in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) and other public gaming platforms. The club's warning came after allegations surfaced that forward Joao Pedro's absence from the squad due to an injury was disclosed in FPL selections before an official announcement was made. This occurred in Chelsea's 2-0 home defeat by Tottenham, where Pedro was notably absent from the game.

The incident prompted Chelsea to send an email to staff members, reminding them of the potential consequences of using insider information in FPL and similar online games. Reports suggest that several prominent FPL content creators were reportedly aware that Aston Villa forward Morgan Rogers and some Chelsea staff had removed Pedro from their fantasy teams before kick-off, despite the absence of an official injury announcement.

Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso, who has been cautious about discussing injury matters during media conferences, was reportedly unaware of the situation when questioned by BBC Sport following the match. The club has faced similar issues in the past, with confidential team information being leaked ahead of matches during Liam Rosenior's tenure and Marc Cucurella's barber disclosing Pedro and Cole Palmer's absence from a trip to Brighton.

While the club does not intend to impose further restrictions on staff involvement in FPL, it views the latest incident as an isolated case that can be resolved through increased awareness among players and employees. The Premier League has strict rules prohibiting gambling, but it does not provide specific guidance to clubs on managing staff participation in FPL. The matter is left to individual clubs to handle, with over 11 million players participating in the game worldwide.