THE PREMIER LEAGUE and the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) have announced a new five-year partnership.

The agreement which will see an uplift in funding and will help support the wide range of services the players’ union provides to its members across the professional game at all stages of their careers.  Key areas include:

• An enhanced focus on player welfare and support
• Continued work on community initiatives and coaching programmes to increase diversity in the workforce
• Greater support for Academy players who are released by their clubs, including funding for the EFL Youth Development and Scholarship Fund
• Education for careers after playing, player counselling services, mental health support and medical research

The partnership will bolster existing programmes to increase the diversity of football’s workforce, such as the Professional Player to Coach Scheme. The programme is jointly funded by the Premier League and the PFA and has welcomed 46 participants over three years, with 36 of them currently in full-time employment at Clubs.

This new long-term agreement recognises the crucial role the PFA continues to perform as the players’ union

PFA CEO Maheta Molango

Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters said: “We are delighted to renew our partnership with the PFA and extend our long-term commitment of support for a further five years.

“The PFA carries out vital work to support players in the Premier League and throughout the game. We share the ambition of ensuring that they have the support they need to successfully navigate the highs and lows of professional football and are prepared for life after their playing career.

“We look forward to our continued work with the PFA on player welfare, as well as a range of other important programmes within communities and those which help improve diversity among coaches.”

It also means that when there are issues that do need to be addressed on behalf of players, we will work constructively to achieve solutions

Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters

Richard Masters recently visited The Arsenal Hub with Maheta Molango, CEO of the PFA, to observe Arsenal in the Community’s Football Plus and Gunners For Change programmes, both of which are funded by the Premier League and PFA Community Fund. The programmes use coaches and Academy player engagement to raise awareness of social issues in the local community.

Maheta said: “This new long-term agreement recognises the crucial role the PFA continues to perform as the players’ union. 

“The new deal will support the wide range of services that the PFA provides to its members. It will also ensure the continuation of the successful projects across the game that are co-funded by the Premier League and the PFA. 

“The length of this new agreement reflects the positive and collaborative relationship that has been established between the Premier League and the PFA. It ensures that we will be able to work as partners on shared priorities. Crucially, it also means that when there are issues that do need to be addressed on behalf of players, we will work constructively to achieve solutions.”