Inside the Fantasy Premier League: Players, Staff, and Controversies
The Premier League allows both players and support staff from its clubs to participate in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), a popular game with over 10 million players worldwide. In FPL, participants select squads of 15 players and earn points based on their performances in the Premier League. While the Premier League does not have a specific prohibition on players or staff participating in FPL, individual clubs may have their own rules regarding the game. Clubs like Arsenal, Bournemouth, West Ham, and Fulham allow their footballers and staff to play, with the exception that Fulham staff are advised against selecting Fulham players in their teams.
Several current and former Premier League players have been known to play FPL, including Aaron Ramsdale, Anthony Gordon, Harvey Barnes, Fabian Schar, Kieran Trippier, and Conor Bradley. In the past, there have been instances where leaked team news information affected matches, such as when a fan from Norway correctly predicted Jack Grealish's injury before an Aston Villa game. This incident led to an internal investigation by Villa's management and was criticized by managers like Brendan Rodgers and Pep Guardiola for being unprofessional and unethical.
As the new Premier League season kicks off, fantasy football enthusiasts can join the BBC Sport League on the official Fantasy Premier League game using the code bbcfpl or by following the provided link. BBC experts, including Alistair Bruce-Ball, Statman Dave, and Chris Sutton from the FPL Podcast, will be participating in the league. The Ask Me Anything team from BBC Sport is dedicated to answering questions and providing insights to sports fans. With access to a network of experts and pundits, the team aims to inform and entertain sports enthusiasts across various BBC platforms, including the website, app, social media, YouTube, TV, and radio.