Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis has put forward a series of radical proposals to overhaul football, expressing fears that the sport risks losing its appeal to the younger generation. De Laurentiis, who has recently celebrated significant success with his club, including Napoli's Serie A championship win in 2022-23 after a 33-year drought, is now focusing on the future of the game.
Concerns Over Declining Youth Interest
Despite Napoli's current position as Serie A champions, the team is set to finish this season without a major trophy, sitting nine points behind leaders Inter Milan with only six games remaining and having been eliminated from the Coppa Italia and Champions League. This context has heightened De Laurentiis's concerns about football's long-term viability. In an interview with The Athletic, the 76-year-old film producer and football executive outlined eye-catching ideas aimed at keeping younger generations engaged.
Proposal to Shorten Match Duration
De Laurentiis's first suggestion involves drastically reducing the length of football matches. He proposes cutting the game from the traditional 90 minutes to just 50 minutes, split into two halves of 25 minutes each. Emphasising in-play time as the priority, he advocates for eliminating stoppage time at the end of each half. "No 1: I will reduce from 45 minutes each (half) to 25 minutes," De Laurentiis stated. He added a stern warning against time-wasting tactics, saying, "But also you cannot stay down on the field and play around like an actor! NO - you will go OUT!"
Replacing Cards with Sin-Bins
His second reform targets the disciplinary system in football. De Laurentiis suggests abandoning yellow and red cards in favour of a model similar to rugby's sin-bins. Under this system, a player receiving a yellow card would be sent off the field for five minutes before returning, while a red card would result in a 20-minute exclusion. "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!'" he explained.
Revising the Offside Rule
The final change proposed by De Laurentiis focuses on amending the offside rule to encourage a more attacking and spectacular style of play. He believes that forwards should be given more margin to be deemed on-side when through on goal, aiming to increase the number of goals scored in matches. "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."
Urgent Call for Innovation
De Laurentiis stressed the urgency of these reforms, highlighting that attracting the younger generation is crucial for football's survival. "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," he warned. His proposals aim to make football faster, more dynamic, and more entertaining, addressing what he sees as key barriers to youth engagement in the modern era.
