Michel Platini, the quintessential number 10 and former Juventus star, has proposed a radical change to inject more excitement and spectacle into football. The ex-UEFA president, known for his innovative thinking, has suggested a fundamental alteration to the game’s structure.
In a recent interview with RMC Sport, Platini outlined his vision: “We should remove one player per team and play 10 versus 10. Football has been played with 11 players since 1900 when players ran much less than today, were slower, and not as strong. People from my generation don’t watch much football anymore because they don’t see themselves in the current game. With 10 versus 10, spaces would open up.”
Platini elaborated on the current state of the game, expressing concern over the prevalence of possession-based tactics: “In possession play, there are too many backward passes rather than forward ones. I’m not criticizing, but in my era, we saw more offensive football.”
The French legend’s proposal stems from his observation that the physical evolution of players has outpaced the game’s structure. By reducing the number of players on the field, Platini believes the game could recapture some of the dynamism and attacking flair that he feels has been lost in modern football.
