Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger lists four rule changes he’d make in football immediately, and it’s got plenty of talk online.
The three time Premier League winner, aged 70, left his role in North London after 22 years in 2018.
Fast forward to today and he’s now earned a position with FIFA as the Chief Head of Global Football Development.
Being within the role will see him help the process of adapting the laws of the game, and they are ever changing today than they were back in the day.
Speaking to L’Equipe via Get French Football News, Wenger reiterated his hope of changing the offside rule.
Wenger said: “For the moment, you are offside if a part of your body that you can score with sits ahead of the body of a defender.
“I would like it to be that there is no offside so long as a (single) body part which a player can score with is in line with the defender.
“This could be too much of an advantage for an attacker, because that obliges the defenders to play higher up.
“We are also considering other things: a corner that goes out of play and comes back in could be made valid, this would create new goalscoring opportunities.
“There is also the option of quickly playing a free-kick to yourself.
“I would also like to change the throw-in rule: five minutes before the end, a throw-in for you should be an advantage, but in these situations you are facing ten outfield players in play, whilst you only have nine.
“Stats show that in eight out of ten of those throw-in situations, you lose the ball.
“In your half of the pitch, you should have the possibility to take a kick instead.”
One rule that has gone ahead over the years is the ability for defenders to receive a goal kick from inside the penalty box – rather than wait for the ball to exit before touching it.
Wenger wants this adjustment has been a genuine success as more teams play out from the back, starting with the goalkeeper.
He added: “I think that the new rule that allows you to play in the box from the start of play within 5.5m has profoundly changed play. I have to admit that I did not see it coming. This has consequences.
“The real playmaker now is the goalkeeper. And instead of looking to play as quickly as possible in the opposition half, you are looking to create space in your own box.
“This has created dangerous situations because teams press very hard, so well that they leave a lot of space.
“And this rule, which was innocent at the start, has profoundly turned the game upside down.”
Fans reacted after seeing Arsene Wenger lists four rule changes he’d make in football immediately…
How about the penalty rule. The one who get fault, should take the penalty kick.
— A.R.F (@vallen7) October 7, 2020
There have always been changes to the game. Offsides are a recent creation.
— Your reign on the top was short like leprechauns (@LeutrimRexhaj) October 7, 2020
If you change that, to, lets say.. 30CM, that won’t change a thing.
The discussion will be if was 30cm 29cm or 30cm Plus a toenail.
We will always have goals beeing decided by a toenail.
There’s no scape.
— #ForaGeninho (@Coracao_Avaiano) October 7, 2020
It really isn’t. As it stands you can’t take a decent outswinger and have it land closer than the penalty spot. This change would allow players to take decent corners from both sides, with either foot.
Believe it or not, Wenger has a greater insight than you do.
— I don’t want to add my name. (@DickieB17) October 7, 2020
how is playing a freekick to yourself more exciting
— Lampard pessimist who is trying to be positive (@AAwobasivwe) October 7, 2020
“in your own half”
— Fabian (@fabianmanzoni) October 7, 2020
A timer wouldn’t work. It will make every match 2+ hours long. Football is meant to be continuous.
— • (@SaF7910) October 7, 2020
What that made La Liga so attractive before VAR, was offsides was judged by the placement of the feet and not the body. Someone could be sprinting and as long as their feet were onside they could continue their run, get the through ball and score. High lines be damned.
— Kudz (@KudzuFanAccount) October 7, 2020
Van Basten said the same things a few years back. Absolutely clueless
— ✍️ (@CatenaccioEra) October 7, 2020
Not gonna lie I only agree with the last one
— SamiulH (@SamiulHussain05) October 7, 2020
Change the off side rule to favour attacking players. One more reason to love Arsene Wenger, @Arsenal‘s greatest manager. Also like idea of letting corner kicks that swing back in to count. A plus for skill. @FIFAcom
— Richard Ingham Evans (@Ringham7) October 7, 2020
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