Napoli owner, Aurelio De Laurentiis, has proposed new changes to football amid fears the sport ‘will die.’
Napoli, who are club the current Serie A champions after ending an initial 33-year wait for the title in 2022-23, are set to end this campaign without a major honour – sitting second in Serie A but nine points adrift of leaders Inter Milan with six games left and out of the Coppa Italia and Champions League.
Fearing for the future of the game, the 76-year-old has reeled off a list of ideas to keep younger generations engaged.
Speaking to The Athletic, his first proposal would see football matches reduced from 90 minutes to 50, with two 25-minute halves, and with in-play time the priority rather than the stoppage time at the end of each half.
‘No 1: I will reduce from 45 minutes each (half) to 25 minutes,’ he said.
‘But also you cannot stay down on the field and play around like an actor! ‘NO – you will go OUT!’
His second reform would see the abandonment of yellow and red cards, using a model more akin to rugby’s sin-bins instead. This would see anyone booked off the field for five minutes before returning, while a red card would result in 20 minutes.
‘I will never use a red card and a yellow card. I would say “YOU – get out for five minutes [for a yellow card)!” And “YOU – get out for 20 minutes for a red card!”‘
De Laurentiis’ final change would come with amending the offside rule.
Encouraging an attacking game, he would like to see forwards giving more margin to be deemed onside when through on goal.
‘Another thing!’ he continued. ‘Too few goals! So it is not spectacular. You must make more goals. And to make more goals, you must change the rules.
‘You cannot (cancel) a goal just for a few millimetres… the offside must be changed, a lot.’
‘The new generation is our gold. If we don’t please them, we will die. You will not have the same participation as you had in the last 100 years.’