DE LAURENTIIS: "LET'S ELIMINATE THE HALFTIME COMPLETELY"

Aurelio De Laurentiis, the owner of the Napoli squad, made revolutionary statements that created an earthquake effect in the football world. The Italian man shared his radical ideas by stating that the sport must keep up with the changing world. Targeting the traditional rules, the president said, "We need to have the courage to discuss the football product from every angle. We must start with the duration and interruptions of the game. There are no sacred rules just because they existed for over 100 years." Drawing attention to the fact that the interest decreased rapidly among the new generation, De Laurentiis made striking determinations. He made a historical call to the authorities with the words, "If we want to win back the younger ones, we have to ask what makes them leave. Take the 15-minute halftime. Why not discuss shortening it or eliminating it completely?" Comparing the experiences of the fans in the stadium and the youth watching the match at home, the club owner continued his words as follows: "Those in the stadium live that atmosphere, they are with others, they wait. But the little boy at home? He immediately grabs his phone or goes back to the video game, he finds something else to do. You start the second half, but he is already gone. He will only watch the goals in the highlights. We have to discuss what to do." This outburst immediately found a great echo in the European press. The Italian press claimed that this modernization idea will come to the agenda in the boards. This brave vision is seen as a big step that will fundamentally change the future rules. If the management listens to these words, the format of this sport will take on a completely different structure in the upcoming years, and a massive transformation will definitely begin.

IMAGE: ALBERTOZZI