Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis believes football is at risk of losing younger audiences and has put forth several striking proposals for reform. Among his suggestions are significantly shortening match durations, abolishing yellow and red cards, and introducing penalties for players who feign injuries.
In an extensive interview with Adam Crafton of The Athletic, the Napoli chief detailed the rule modifications he feels are necessary to attract and retain a younger demographic.
De Laurentiis: Football ‘Will Lose the Younger Generation,’ Citing Stupidity in Current Format
De Laurentiis expressed his concerns to The Athletic, stating, “Football will lose the younger generation. The matches are too long.” He elaborated on this point, questioning the appeal for today’s youth, who are accustomed to faster-paced entertainment. “Imagine the stupidity! You think my grandchild of six years old, who knows everything (about football) because he plays with the PlayStation – he will escape – and you think you will recoup him after 15 minutes? Never! Because he goes in his room. He starts to play FIFA.”
De Laurentiis, who has previously called for a reduction in the number of teams in Serie A, is convinced that both the match duration and the half-time interval need to be shortened.
“Number one: I will reduce from 45 minutes each (half) to 25 minutes,” he proposed.
Furthermore, De Laurentiis is highly critical of players who exaggerate or fake injuries. “But also you cannot stay down on the field and play around like an actor! AGHHHH. NO — you will go OUT!”
His ideas on disciplinary measures are equally unconventional: “What I will do also: 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!’”
During his conversation with The Athletic, De Laurentiis frequently drew parallels to basketball and suggested that football could learn a great deal from American sports in general.
“Another thing, 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.”