Luis Enrique surprised everyone with a series of tactical tweaks in PSG’s clash against Nice last month. He pushed left‑back Nuno Mendes up to the left wing, shifted centre‑back Lucas Beraldo into midfield, and placed winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia as a striker. Those adjustments helped Paris secure a convincing 4‑0 victory, with Mendes delivering a standout performance in his new position while Nice struggled to cope with the fluidity of their opponents. "We let them play too freely," admitted Nice boss Claude Puel.
When asked whether he would experiment further in the upcoming fixture against Toulouse, Enrique gave a glimpse into his broader philosophy and the way elite football is evolving tactically. "Absolutely, it’s my dream. I would love to have 20 players who can operate everywhere. Nuno Mendes as a full‑back, as a winger, as a No 9, as a midfielder – everyone except the goalkeeper.
You can imagine the opposing manager seeing the line‑up and thinking, ‘He plays everywhere!’ It’s an ambitious goal, but I’ll try to achieve it," he said. In the Champions League quarter‑finals, PSG returned to a more traditional shape as Mendes and Kvaratskhelia slipped back into their natural roles, yet the side still displayed the same positional interchange. Defenders drifted into midfield, midfielders swapped flanks, and the front three rotated constantly. Ousmane Dembélé, nominally the No 9 in the second leg, appeared all over the pitch, creating space for himself and dragging Liverpool’s defenders out of shape.
The graphics highlighted Kvaratskhelia on his left and Desire Doué on his right, but all three attackers could function across the entire front line, making PSG’s touch maps look unpredictable and hard to contain. A similar brand of fluid football is on display from PSG’s semi‑final opponents, Bayern Munich under Vincent Kompany. Bayern, like Enrique’s side, borrow heavily from the principles of Total Football, allowing players to occupy multiple zones rather than fixed positions. Sporting director Max Eberl explained in February, "Harry Kane doesn’t just wait in the box.
Michael Olise and Luis Diaz aren’t confined to one‑on‑one wing battles. Joshua Kimmich alternates between right‑back and defensive midfield." Eberl continued, "Modern football is about creativity – how do we want to play, what do we need to react to, how is the opponent set up, and where are the spaces to exploit? The classic rigid 4‑2‑3‑1 or 4‑4‑2 is becoming obsolete.
At the start of a match you might see a formation on TV, but in reality the defensive midfielder drifts wide, centre‑backs make central runs, full‑backs cut inside – everything is fluid. True specialists who can only do one thing will become rarer because the game is increasingly dynamic." Konrad Laimer epitomises Bayern’s versatility.
Signed from RB Leipzig as a midfielder, he has since performed admirably at both right‑back and left‑back. Eberl praised him, saying, "He started as a No 10 at Salzburg, became a No 8 at Leipzig, joined us as a midfielder and now plays as a full‑back in the way Vinny envisions a full‑back. His adaptability makes him invaluable." Versatility is not limited to Bayern.
Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai can function anywhere in midfield, at right‑back, or even higher up the pitch. Manchester City, despite losing Bernardo Silva, have added Nico O'Reilly, a hybrid midfielder‑full‑back. Arsenal boast Declan Rice, comfortable as a defensive midfielder, a box‑to‑box No 8, or even a centre‑back in emergencies, while Kai Havertz has been deployed as a left‑back by Germany’s Julian Nagelsmann.
Real Madrid’s Federico Valverde is perhaps the ultimate chameleon, capable of operating across the midfield spectrum and along the right flank, adapting seamlessly to the team’s needs. His teammate Trent Alexander‑Arnold called him "the most underrated player on the planet" after a recent hat‑trick, and manager Álvaro Arbeloa added, "There is no flaw in him. It doesn’t matter where you put him." Luis Enrique himself is a living example of the concept.
As a player he featured in every outfield position except centre‑back during spells with Sporting Gijón, Real Madrid, Barcelona, and the Spanish national team. Javier Zanetti, the Inter and Argentina legend, similarly covered right‑back, left‑back, holding midfield and centre‑back during Inter’s 2009/10 Champions League triumph under José Mourinho.
Zanetti, now Inter’s vice‑president, told Sky Sports, "Being able to play wherever the team needs you builds trust with teammates and the manager. Players today should develop that versatility." The push for adaptable players is partly stylistic, but there are pragmatic reasons as well. A congested calendar and rising injury rates make multi‑position players highly valuable. Financial considerations also play a role: former Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez noted in 2024, "If one player can cover three positions, you don’t need to sign three specialists – it saves money." Adaptability does not come automatically.
Zanetti insists it is the result of hard work and tactical intelligence cultivated over a career. He credits coaches for providing the information and guidance needed to transition smoothly between roles. Others, like youth development specialist Dan Micciche, argue that versatility can be taught through deliberately designed training sessions that force players into unfamiliar zones, mirroring a Total‑Football approach where a shape, not a position, is emphasized.
Critics claim that the fluidity seen at PSG and Bayern signals a regression toward chaotic, set‑piece‑heavy football. Nonetheless, many clubs are investing in developing home‑grown talent capable of filling multiple roles.
Micciche cites examples from his time at Tottenham, where a midfielder was deployed as a centre‑back to improve aerial ability against a physically imposing opponent. The benefits of such an approach are substantial for both individuals and clubs, though it demands a long‑term perspective. Coaches often shy away from sacrificing immediate results for developmental flexibility, but the payoff can be longevity for players.
Harry Kane has increasingly dropped into midfield to influence play, while Cristiano Ronaldo, now 41, reinvented himself as a pure striker after years on the wing. Zanetti, who played until 41, adapted to a deeper midfield role as his pace waned, extending his elite career. Enrique’s quest for "20 players who can play everywhere" may still be a dream, but PSG and Bayern already demonstrate the competitive edge that such versatility provides.
As the sport continues to evolve, the ability to shift seamlessly across the pitch could become the defining characteristic of the next generation of football stars.