Luis Enrique surprised everyone with a series of tactical tweaks during Paris Saint-Germain's clash with Nice last month. He pushed left‑back Nuno Mendes up to the left wing, slotted centre‑back Lucas Beraldo into midfield, and positioned winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia as the striker. Those adjustments helped PSG secure a 4‑0 victory, with Mendes delivering a standout performance in his new role while Nice struggled to cope with the fluidity of their opponent. "We let them play too freely," admitted Nice coach Claude Puel.
When asked whether he would employ more "unexpected solutions" in the upcoming match against Toulouse, Enrique offered a glimpse into his philosophy and, more broadly, into a tactical shift that is reshaping elite football. "Absolutely," he said.
"It’s my dream 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 looking at the line‑up and thinking, ‘He plays everywhere!’ It’s a dream, I know it’s hard, but I’ll try." In the Champions League quarter‑finals, PSG reverted to a more conventional shape as Mendes and Kvaratskhelia returned to their natural positions, yet the team’s performances still radiated 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, carving out space for himself and pulling Liverpool defenders out of shape. The graphic line‑up showed Kvaratskhelia to his left and Desire Doué to his right, but all three could operate across the attacking line, a flexibility reflected in their touch maps that underline PSG's unpredictability. A similar brand of fluidity is evident in the side they now face in the semi‑finals: Vincent Kompany’s Bayern Munich.
Like Enrique’s side, Bayern draw inspiration from Total Football, encouraging players to shift positions rather than stick to rigid roles. "Harry Kane doesn’t just wait in the box," Bayern sporting director Max Eberl explained in February.
"Michael Olise and Luis Diaz don’t merely hug the wing one‑on‑one. 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 we can exploit? The classic 4‑2‑3‑1 or 4‑4‑2 is becoming obsolete. When you see the formations on TV at kickoff, they often look different because the defensive midfielder drifts wide, the centre‑backs make runs into the centre, and full‑backs join the attack.
True specialists who can only do one thing will become rarer as the game grows more dynamic and variable." Konrad Laimer epitomises Bayern’s adaptable approach. Signed from RB Leipzig as a midfielder, he has since excelled at both right‑back and left‑back. His ability to switch roles within a match makes him indispensable.
"Konny fits perfectly," Eberl added. "He started as a No 10 at Red Bull Salzburg, became a No 8 at Leipzig, and now plays as a full‑back in the way Vinny envisions a full‑back." Versatility is not confined to Bayern. Liverpool boast Dominik Szoboszlai, capable of playing anywhere in midfield, at right‑back, or even further up the pitch. Manchester City, despite losing Bernardo Silva, have added Nico O'Reilly, a midfielder who can also cover at full‑back.
Arsenal rely on Declan Rice, comfortable as a defensive midfielder, a box‑to‑box No 8, or even as 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 exemplifies the modern utility player, able to operate across the midfield spectrum and on the right flank, adapting seamlessly to the coach’s demands. His teammate Trent Alexander‑Arnold praised him as "the most underrated player on the planet" after Valverde’s hat‑trick against Manchester City, and manager Álvaro Arbeloa echoed the sentiment: "There is no flaw in him; it doesn’t matter where you put him." Luis Enrique himself is a living testament to this ideal.
During his playing days with Sporting Gijón, Real Madrid, Barcelona and the Spanish national team, he appeared in every outfield position except centre‑back. Javier Zanetti offers another iconic example. Primarily a right‑back, Zanetti also excelled at left‑back, as a holding midfielder and as a centre‑back, covering all four roles during Inter’s 2009‑10 Champions League triumph under José Mourinho. "Versatility is crucial because it lets you fill the spot your team needs most," Zanetti, now Inter’s vice‑president, told Sky Sports.
"It earns the trust of teammates and the manager, showing they believe you can cover various positions. Players today should develop that flexibility." The push for adaptable players is driven by both style and practicality.
As fixture congestion intensifies and injuries become more common, having multi‑positional squad members offers a tactical cushion and financial relief. Former Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez summed it up in 2024: "If one player can cover three positions, you don’t need to sign three specialists – those players save you money." Adapting to new roles is easier for some than others, but Zanetti insists versatility is not innate; it is cultivated through relentless focus and coaching. "I applied myself a lot. Whenever I was asked to play somewhere new, I absorbed every instruction from the coach.
Tactical intelligence is fundamental, but I built it throughout my career. My attributes allowed managers to trust me in different roles." Not everyone views this fluidity as progress. Some critics argue that the modern emphasis on direct play and set‑pieces signals a regression rather than evolution. Nevertheless, many clubs are investing in youth development that nurtures positional flexibility.
Dan Micciche, a veteran academy director now at Al‑Ahli in Saudi Arabia, explains that exposing youngsters to varied roles enhances their understanding of the game and prepares them for diverse tactical scenarios. He cites an instance at Tottenham where a midfielder was deployed as a centre‑back to improve aerial ability against a physically imposing opponent. Micciche believes versatility can be taught through deliberately designed training sessions that force players into unfamiliar positions, mirroring a Total‑Football mindset where a team occupies a shape rather than fixed spots. He likens the approach to volleyball, where players rotate constantly, gaining experience across the court.
The payoff can be substantial for both individuals and clubs, though it requires a long‑term perspective. Many coaches shy away from such experiments because they may jeopardise immediate results. Yet the career longevity of adaptable stars like Harry Kane, who now drops deeper to orchestrate play, and Cristiano Ronaldo, who reinvented himself as a pure striker in his forties, illustrates the lasting value of flexibility.
Zanetti’s own three‑decade career, which saw him transition from a pace‑driven wing‑back to a central midfield anchor as his speed waned, underscores the point. In summary, Luis Enrique’s quest for "20 players who can play everywhere" reflects a broader transformation in football.
Whether it is PSG, Bayern Munich or any other elite side, the ability to shift seamlessly between positions is becoming a decisive factor in success and may well define the sport’s future.