Legendary Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has suggested the possibility of increasing the size of goals in what would be a revolutionary move. The Bianconeri and Azzurri stalwart was speaking with Tuttosport and offered some suggestions on how the game could be improved in the long-term:
“I was talking about this with my relatives and my wife the other day. When I started in 1998, I was among the top five tallest players in Serie A but last year, when I was with Parma in Serie B, I was always among the five tallest… but of the twenty-two on the pitch!
“We could start thinking about it… the size of the goalposts were determined in 1875. They were probably too big for the anthropometric values of that time. It was probably right back then but now, seeing some athletes and goalkeepers, one might think…”
“Even in volleyball, they discuss the height of the net. I have sisters who play volleyball, so I’m aware of the issue.
“Of course, it’s not up to me to decide. There are bodies in charge who will certainly be asking questions. Goalkeepers have become bigger, that’s true. But outfield players have also become faster, unpredictable, and they hit harder. You can see the effect of the goalkeeper’s height on long shots.
“Thirty years ago, for every fifty shots, you would score 10 goals. Today it’s three. From afar it’s much more difficult to score with a two-metre goalkeeper.”
