FIFA are already proposing a number of rule changes over the next few years and Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has suggested a number of alterations in order to draw younger fans
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has suggested cutting football matches to just 50 minutes in a radical overhaul. The 76-year-old has owned the Italian side since 2004 and has enjoyed a spectacular period, having led them back to the top flight after they were demoted to the third tier.
Napoli have gone from strength to strength over recent seasons, having lifted two Serie A crowns, as well as three Italian Cups. They have also become regulars in the Champions League.
Despite that period of success, De Laurentiis is keen to see a number of dramatic changes to the rules in order to keep the game more interesting. One of his demands is to reduce the duration of a game from 90 minutes to just 50.
Speaking to The Athletic, he said: “No 1: I will reduce from 45 minutes each (half) to 25 minutes. But also you cannot stay down on the field and play around like an actor! 'NO - you will go OUT!'”
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Meanwhile, De Laurentiis has also said that both yellow and red cards should be scrapped entirely and believes that a rugby-like sin bin would be the way forward.
He added: “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!’”
One final change that De Laurentiis has suggested is an overhaul of the offside law, with narrow decisions also being binned.
“Another thing!” the Napoli chief added. “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.”
De Laurentiis’s suggestion for the offside rule coincides with Arsene Wenger’s push that there should be ‘daylight’ between an attacker and the final defender for an offside offence to occur.
The Canadian Premier League is currently in the middle of a trial of the new rule. Speaking after the announcement was made, Wenger said: “This is an important pilot.
“By testing this new interpretation in a professional competition, we can better understand its impact, including in terms of improving clarity and the flow of the game and promoting attacking play. We look forward to analysing the results of the trial phase.”
Odidiomo01
7
I think what his drinking is not friendly to his health