The football landscape continues to change, with one Champions League winner looking to push forward a new format of the game which will appeal to today’s youth.
Traditionalists are likely to be up in arms at Gerard Pique’s proposals, though a short attention span can be seen in the way youngsters use social media and other forms of entertainment at their disposal.
Everything seems to have immediate gratification. As if having to wait for something makes it not worth having.
Champions League winner Gerard Pique wants to shake up football
Consider that Pique’s King’s League has new rules, no draws, goals that count double if they’re scored late on and games that only last 40 minutes and you get the picture.
Gone is the traditional 11 vs 11 set up over 90 minutes because that just wouldn’t do.
“I felt there was a need to appeal to the next generation,” Pique said in an extensive interview with Sky Sports.
“There’s a lot of young people who are attracted more to entertainment that is short and exciting.
“It was important to find something where they couldn’t lose focus. What is happening with traditional football is that 90 minutes is too long for the new generation.
“That’s not the case for the semi-finals, the final of the Champions League or the last games of the league but there are too many games and people get lost in all the competitions.
“We wanted to create a product that is similar to football as there are a lot of people who like football and they also like the Kings League.
“It’s a different product with crazy rules but the key is that I see it as being complementary.”
As someone that has always looked to bring something different to the table – Pique’s dabbling in tennis’ Davis Cup is a prime example – his attempt to push football into a brave new era can’t just be dismissed as the whims of someone that doesn’t know what they’re playing at.
On the contrary. Pique has always had his finger on the pulse on what moves people, particularly young people.
It might not be to everyone’s taste but the King’s League appears to be here to stay.
