Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur are scheduled to take a trip down under right after the season ends to partake in a couple of friendly games in Melbourne, Australia.
Eyebrows were raised when the friendlies were announced given the timing of the games. Both sides are set to fly to Australia in the week between the end of the Premier League season and the FA Cup final.
It's an extra game that many feel is unnecessary, especially with so many players from both sides set for a busy summer of international duty with the European Championships taking place this year.
Environmentalist groups have also slammed the decision for two teams to fly half way around the globe and back for meaningless exhibition games.
England boss Gareth Southgate called the games less than ideal when facing the media ahead of Saturday's game against Brazil. Several England players who may well be heading to Germany in the summer could now be put at risk playing in a friendly that means very little.
Now, the PFA (Professional Footballers Association) are looking to intervene after several players have voiced concerns about the extra game.
According to a report in Football London, the PFA could now step in in a last-ditch effort to get the clubs to re-think their plans to take full squads out to Australia.
While it can be seen as a good thing for international fans to get to see their heroes play in person, the logistics involved and the timing are both big issues that are making many wonder if the pros outweigh the cons on this one.
Of course, were it not for Financial Fair Play/Profit and Sustainability being what it is, clubs wouldn't need to come up with crazy schemes to increase revenue.
The friendlies will obviously be good for fans in Australia, and for both clubs to increase their global following, not to mention the financial implications of that, but we're still struggling to get fully behind this decision.
PL | GD | PTS | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
Liverpool
|
14 | 18 | 35 |
2 |
Chelsea
|
15 | 17 | 31 |
3 |
Arsenal
|
15 | 14 | 29 |
4 |
Manchester City
|
15 | 6 | 27 |
5 |
Nottingham Forest
|
15 | 1 | 25 |
6 |
Aston Villa
|
15 | 0 | 25 |
7 |
Brighton
|
15 | 3 | 24 |
8 |
Bournemouth
|
15 | 3 | 24 |
9 |
Brentford
|
15 | 3 | 23 |
10 |
Fulham
|
15 | 2 | 23 |
11 |
Tottenham Hotspur
|
15 | 12 | 20 |
12 |
Newcastle United
|
15 | -2 | 20 |
13 |
Manchester United
|
15 | 1 | 19 |
14 |
West Ham United
|
15 | -9 | 16 |
15 |
Everton
|
14 | -7 | 14 |
16 |
Leicester
|
15 | -9 | 14 |
17 |
Crystal Palace
|
15 | -6 | 13 |
18 |
Wolves
|
15 | -14 | 10 |
19 |
Ipswich
|
15 | -13 | 9 |
20 |
Southampton
|
15 | -20 | 5 |