Barcelona and Spain icon Gerard Pique has urged football authorities to adopt changes that will resonate with younger audiences.
He also revealed that he wants the sport of football to be more competitive in comparison to popular entertainment platforms like Netflix and TikTok.
Gerard Pique, who founded The Kings League in 2022, is pushing for changes in the traditional rules of football by introducing tie-breaker penalty shoot-outs, unlimited substitutions, and the use of 'secret weapons' like temporary exclusions of opponents.
In an interview with The Times, Pique outlined his vision for the future of the game.
The 37-year-old insists that draws should be abolished to maintain the interest of the younger generation, who are more attracted to shorter content on platforms like YouTube and TikTok.
The ex-Barcelona player has highlighted the challenge football is currently encountering in engaging the youth, as he has observed his children losing interest in the 90-minute football game.
He told The Times: “One reason we created the King's League is I saw my kids watching a football match and after ten minutes they were on their phones and their tablets and watching other things at the same time."
"Football is entertainment, so it is not just competing with other sports. It competes with Netflix, Amazon, YouTube, and TikTok. Everyone has limited time. Football for 90 minutes is not as exciting.”
In his second suggestion, Pique emphasized the need to find ways to score more goals and eliminate the possibility of a draw, highlighting the confusion and lack of closure that can come from a tied game.
When discussing his second idea for improving football, Pique used examples from American sports like baseball and basketball.
He suggested that removing ties from the game would make it more entertaining, pointing out that in these other sports, games do not end in draws.
Talking about the rule change, he added: “You need to find ways to score more goals or that you cannot end a game as a draw. Maybe there are no draws, why not? In baseball and basketball, there are no draws. You go to a game and it ends with a draw and the feeling is, ‘Who won?’."
Pique is widely considered one of the greatest defenders in history, achieving success with Barcelona and Spain.
He was part of Spain's World Cup victory in 2010 and led his team to European Championship titles in 2008 and 2012.
During his time at Barcelona, Pique won nine La Liga titles, four Champions League trophies, and seven Copa Del Rey titles.
He also won the Premier League with Manchester United and retired from football in November 2022.
Since retiring, Pique has been involved in various football projects, including creating the Kings League; a unique combination of Twitch streaming and elite football in a five-a-side tournament.
While Pique's significant changes may not be implemented in football anytime soon, discussions have been ongoing over the use of blue cards to 'sin bin' players for misconduct and potential alterations to VAR usage.
What's your take on Pique's suggested changes to football? Please, share your thoughts with us
He also revealed that he wants the sport of football to be more competitive in comparison to popular entertainment platforms like Netflix and TikTok.
Gerard Pique, who founded The Kings League in 2022, is pushing for changes in the traditional rules of football by introducing tie-breaker penalty shoot-outs, unlimited substitutions, and the use of 'secret weapons' like temporary exclusions of opponents.
In an interview with The Times, Pique outlined his vision for the future of the game.
The 37-year-old insists that draws should be abolished to maintain the interest of the younger generation, who are more attracted to shorter content on platforms like YouTube and TikTok.
The ex-Barcelona player has highlighted the challenge football is currently encountering in engaging the youth, as he has observed his children losing interest in the 90-minute football game.
He told The Times: “One reason we created the King's League is I saw my kids watching a football match and after ten minutes they were on their phones and their tablets and watching other things at the same time."
"Football is entertainment, so it is not just competing with other sports. It competes with Netflix, Amazon, YouTube, and TikTok. Everyone has limited time. Football for 90 minutes is not as exciting.”
In his second suggestion, Pique emphasized the need to find ways to score more goals and eliminate the possibility of a draw, highlighting the confusion and lack of closure that can come from a tied game.
When discussing his second idea for improving football, Pique used examples from American sports like baseball and basketball.
He suggested that removing ties from the game would make it more entertaining, pointing out that in these other sports, games do not end in draws.
Talking about the rule change, he added: “You need to find ways to score more goals or that you cannot end a game as a draw. Maybe there are no draws, why not? In baseball and basketball, there are no draws. You go to a game and it ends with a draw and the feeling is, ‘Who won?’."
Pique is widely considered one of the greatest defenders in history, achieving success with Barcelona and Spain.
He was part of Spain's World Cup victory in 2010 and led his team to European Championship titles in 2008 and 2012.
During his time at Barcelona, Pique won nine La Liga titles, four Champions League trophies, and seven Copa Del Rey titles.
He also won the Premier League with Manchester United and retired from football in November 2022.
Since retiring, Pique has been involved in various football projects, including creating the Kings League; a unique combination of Twitch streaming and elite football in a five-a-side tournament.
While Pique's significant changes may not be implemented in football anytime soon, discussions have been ongoing over the use of blue cards to 'sin bin' players for misconduct and potential alterations to VAR usage.
What's your take on Pique's suggested changes to football? Please, share your thoughts with us