In the face of growing disappointment among young people with football, several sports figures are proposing changes to make the game more attractive.
Among them, Arsène Wenger is advocating for a new interpretation of the offside rule. Tested in Canada with the support of FIFA, this rule would consider a player offside only if their entire body is past the last defender. The goal is to promote offensive play and increase scoring opportunities.
On the other hand, Michel Platini suggests reducing the number of players on the field from 22 to 20. This measure is designed to create more space and make games more dynamic.
Structural reforms to revive interest
The president of SSC Napoli, Aurelio De Laurentiis, is proposing even more radical ideas. In an interview with The Athletic, he suggests implementing effective playing time: games of 50 minutes, divided into two periods of 25 minutes, without any added time. The clock would stop at every interruption, as in other sports.
He also wants to reconsider disciplinary sanctions. Cards could be replaced with temporary exclusions, ranging from five to twenty minutes depending on the severity of the offense. This, he believes, is a way to more effectively penalize unsportsmanlike behavior during matches.
The Italian leader also criticizes the current use of VAR and believes the offside rule is too strict, to the detriment of the spectacle.
Finally, he calls for a rethink of competition organization. Among his proposals: a Serie A reduced to 16 clubs and the creation of a European championship bringing together the best teams on the continent, without resurrecting the Super League name.
These different ideas reignite the debate on the future of football and the means to attract a new generation of spectators.
