Mourinho reveals 'genius' game-changing tactic as expects to be tried soon

Jose Mourinho has extraordinarily claimed that a game-changing tactical move could soon be tried in football.

The former Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham boss is currently away from the touchline after being sacked by Roma in January, but has not stopped thinking about innovative ways to take the game forward.

And he has now proposed a radical change to how teams could set up in the future.

Speaking about the possibility of sides playing with 11 outfield players and no goalkeeper at some stage, Mourinho told The Telegraph: 'Why do you play with a goalkeeper, even if he is good with his feet, almost in the midfield, if you can do that with a proper player? I can see that substitution happening.'

He added: 'And the coach who does it will be considered a genius.'

During his managerial career that has spanned over two decades, Mourinho has become known for making his teams difficult to break down, often relying on counter-attacks to hurt the opposition.

But he has encountered some teams that dominate possession, including Pep Guardiola's Barcelona and Manchester City.

Guardiola demands that his goalkeeper is also comfortable with the ball at his feet so that his team can play out from the back, and Ederson is widely considered the best distributor in the modern game.

The Brazilian is capable of picking out forwards with long-range passes, while he also stepped up to take a spot-kick in last week's penalty shootout against Real Madrid.

Ederson dispatched his penalty, but was unable to prevent his side from being knocked out of the Champions League by their Spanish opponents.

But despite Ederson's exploits, Mourinho is still convinced that teams may dispense with having a designated goalkeeper in the future in order to have a numerical advantage higher up the pitch.

This would be an incredibly bold move from any manager as they would risk leaving their goal unguarded if they lose possession, but Mourinho still thinks it will happen and will be praised by fans.

The likes of Guardiola and Arsenal's Mikel Arteta have tried to move away from conventional thinking in recent years by playing four central defenders at the back, while also using full backs in midfield.

But not using a goalkeeper would be taking things to another level.

City famously went the other way under Stuart Pearce in 2005 when they played two goalkeepers for the final minutes of their league match with Middlesbrough.

Despite having other options on the bench, Pearce turned to David James and put him on up front in a bid to 'unsettle' the Middlesbrough back line.

Pearce's gamble failed to work as City were unable to find the goal that would have secured them a place in the UEFA Cup.