Arsene Wenger wants to make a drastic change to football.
The former Arsenal boss is now FIFA's chief of global football development after being appointed back in November 2019. His role sees him overseeing all FIFA's football development activities worldwide, including coaching, training, and coach education programs for both men's and women's football.
But with the game often criticised for its lack of life and slow procedures due to VAR and further technology, Wenger is persistent in his aims to make alterations to the beautiful game.
Arsene Wenger wants to CHANGE football for the better in 2025 - but how?
Wenger, who won three Premier League titles during his time with the Gunners, is keen to improve the sport when it comes to offside. With semi-automatic technology now introduced in most of Europe's top leagues, quicker decisions can now be made to help speed up decision-making and improve the flow of the game.
The 75-year-old wants to make 'daylight' rulings around offside, meaning a player would be deemed as onside if any part of their body that can score a goal is behind or level with the relevant defender.
The idea was first proposed in 2020 and after positive trials in Sweden, Italy and the Netherlands, Wenger has hoped to push forward quickly with the rule changes through the International FA Board (IFAB).
A new judgement could come as early as next year, with the FIFA chief explaining his thoughts on beIN Sports recently. "In 1990 it was decided that it's not offside if you're on the same line as the defender and the striker has advantage if there was doubt," began Wenger.
"With VAR, this advantage disappeared. I think in England they cancelled 37 goals on marginal offsides, it's very frustrating. It's why I proposed that as long as you're on the same line, you're not offside. In one year the decision will be made by IFAB, not by me."
Thicker lines were used when deciding whether a player or not was offside for the 2024/25 season, but it seems even more changes could come as soon as the 2026/27 season if new legislation is pushed through by football's governing bodies.
In FourFourTwo's view, any rule that speeds up the game gets our vote, especially given how it seems some officials are clear in their agendas in wanting to chalk off some types of goals in the Premier League – though “daylight” is a subjective call.
While this idea might be made with attackers in mind, how do we know that teams aren't going to sit much deeper in low blocks?
Liverpool hosts Arsenal this weekend, whilst Newcastle United play Chelsea as Premier League football returns.
