Chelsea has issued a warning to staff after an unusual episode linked to Fantasy Premier League, the virtual football game that is becoming an unexpected source of information leaks. The London club sent an internal memo to employees, asking them to be careful when using the game.
The incident came after news of João Pedro’s injury surfaced before the club’s official announcement. The Brazilian striker was unexpectedly absent from the squad that lost 2-0 to Tottenham, due to a hamstring problem. Several Fantasy Premier League users noticed a suspicious detail: some Chelsea employees, together with Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins, removed João Pedro from their virtual teams only a few hours before kick-off.
This suggested the player would not be available. After the incident, the club sent an email to staff, reminding them of the possible consequences of using confidential information on public platforms such as Fantasy Premier League. According to the club, the aim is to prevent the indirect disclosure of internal details through choices made within the game.
Asked about the matter, head coach Xabi Alonso said he was not aware of the situation. He stated: “I don’t follow Fantasy Premier League, so I didn’t know anything about this”. This is not the first time sensitive information has leaked from Chelsea before a match.
Last season, starting lineups were revealed before the Champions League matches against PSG. On another occasion, Marc Cucurella’s barber accidentally revealed on social media that João Pedro and Cole Palmer would miss the away match against Brighton. However, the club considers the incident an isolated case and, at least for now, does not intend to impose specific restrictions on participation in the game.
The focus will be on raising awareness among employees and collaborators about handling confidential information. This is an effort to close the channel that allowed news about the Brazilian striker’s condition to leak out of the club ahead of time.