Luis Enrique surprised everyone with a bold tactical reshuffle in Paris Saint-Germain's recent clash against Nice. He pushed left‑back Nuno Mendes further up the pitch to operate as a left winger, slipped centre‑back Lucas Beraldo into a midfield role, and placed the dynamic left winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia as a central striker. The gamble paid off handsomely, as PSG ran out 4-0 winners.
Mendes shone in his unfamiliar position, while Nice struggled to cope with the fluidity and positional swaps of the Parisian side. "We allowed them too much freedom," admitted Nice boss Claude Puel after the defeat. When journalists asked Enrique whether he would continue to experiment with "unexpected solutions" in the upcoming Ligue 1 match against Toulouse, the Spanish manager gave a clear picture of his philosophy and, more broadly, of a wider tactical evolution taking place at the highest level of the sport.
"Absolutely," he replied. "It’s a dream of mine to have a squad of twenty players who can fill any role on the pitch. Imagine Nuno Mendes as a full‑back, as a winger, as a number nine, even as a central midfielder.
Everyone except the goalkeeper, that would be my ideal roster." He added, "You can picture the opposition manager looking at the line‑up and thinking, ‘He plays everywhere!’ It’s a nightmare for them. I know it’s a tall order, but I’ll keep trying." The following week PSG returned to a more conventional shape for the Champions League quarter‑finals against Liverpool, with Mendes and Kvaratskhelia reverting to their natural positions. Yet the team’s performances still radiated the same kind of positional interchange. Defenders drifted into midfield, midfielders swapped flanks, and the front three rotated constantly.
Ousmane Dembélé, nominally the No 9, scored twice in the second leg while also roaming across the line, pulling Liverpool’s centre‑backs out of shape and creating space for teammates. Graphic line‑ups showed Kvaratskhelia to the left of Dembélé and Desire Doué to the right, but all three are capable of operating anywhere across the attacking line. Their touch‑maps this season underline the unpredictability that makes PSG a nightmare to defend against. A similar brand of fluid football is on display in the other semi‑finalist, Bayern Munich, under the stewardship of sporting director Max Eberl and manager Julian Nagelsmann.
Bayern, like PSG, borrow heavily from the principles of Total Football, encouraging players to rotate rather than stick to rigid positional labels. This approach produced an enthralling first leg and promises more of the same in the return fixture. "Harry Kane doesn’t just wait in the box," Eberl observed in February.
"Michael Olise and Luis Diaz are not confined to one‑on‑one wing battles, and Joshua Kimmich alternates between right‑back and defensive midfield." He continued, "Modern football is about creativity – deciding how to play, reacting to the opponent’s shape, and exploiting the spaces they leave. The classic 4‑2‑3‑1 or 4‑4‑2 is becoming a relic. On match day you’ll see defensive midfielders drifting wide, centre‑backs making central runs, full‑backs cutting inside – the formations are fluid, not static." Eberl believes true specialists who can perform only a single function will become rarer as the game grows more dynamic.
One of Bayern’s most illustrative examples is Konrad Laimer. Signed from RB Leipzig as a midfielder, Laimer has seamlessly taken on both right‑back and left‑back duties, adapting his game minute by minute. "Konny started as a No 10 at Red Bull Salzburg, then became a No 8 at Leipzig, and now he operates as a full‑back for us," Eberl explained, highlighting how the club values such adaptability. Versatility is not limited to Bayern.
Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai can slot into central midfield, right‑back, or even a wide attacking role. Manchester City, after losing Bernardo Silva, have added Nico O'Reilly, a player comfortable as a midfielder and a full‑back.
Arsenal’s Declan Rice can function as a deep‑lying midfielder, a box‑to‑box No 8, or even cover at centre‑back, while Kai Havertz has been deployed as a left‑back by Germany’s Julian Nagelsmann. Real Madrid’s Federico Valverde epitomises the modern utility player, capable of occupying any midfield slot or the right flank with equal proficiency. 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 added, "There is no flaw in him – wherever you place him, he delivers." Luis Enrique himself is a living example of this ideal.
During his playing career he featured in every outfield position except centre‑back, representing Sporting Gijón, Real Madrid, Barcelona and the Spanish national team. Former Inter and Argentina stalwart Javier Zanetti is another iconic figure; primarily a right‑back, he also excelled at left‑back, holding midfield and centre‑defence, covering all four roles in Inter’s 2009/10 Champions League triumph under José Mourinho. "Versatility is crucial because it lets you fill the gaps your team needs most," Zanetti, now Inter’s vice‑president, told Sky Sports.
"It earns the trust of teammates and managers, showing they believe you can cover any position. Players today should develop that flexibility." The push for adaptable players is driven by both style and practicality.
As the football calendar becomes increasingly congested and injuries more frequent, having multi‑position athletes offers a strategic edge. Financial considerations also play a part.
Former Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez noted in 2024, "If one player can cover three positions, you don’t need three separate signings – it saves money." Adapting to new roles is easier for some than others, but Zanetti stresses that versatility is largely a learned skill. "I worked hard, stayed focused, and absorbed every tactical instruction from my coaches. Tactical intelligence is essential, but it’s something you develop over a career," he explained.
Not everyone believes the current trend toward fluidity is a forward step. Some pundits argue that the rise of direct play and set‑piece reliance signals a regression rather than progress. Nevertheless, many clubs are investing in developing home‑grown talent capable of playing multiple positions. Youth development specialist Dan Micciche, who has worked with Everton, Arsenal, Tottenham and England and now oversees the academy at Al‑Ahli in Saudi Arabia, emphasises the benefits of exposing youngsters to varied roles.
"We rotate players in training to achieve specific outcomes, such as improving aerial ability by playing a midfielder at centre‑back against a tall striker," he said. Micciche believes versatility can be coached through carefully designed sessions that force players into unfamiliar spaces, adopting a Total‑Football‑inspired approach where the team’s shape matters more than individual positions. He likens it to a volleyball system where players constantly shift and adapt during a match, especially when substitutions occur. The payoff can be substantial.
Players who master multiple roles often enjoy longer careers and greater market value. Harry Kane, for instance, has evolved from a pure striker into a deeper‑lying playmaker, frequently dropping into midfield before arriving late in the box. Cristiano Ronaldo, now 41, transitioned from a winger to a central striker and continues to score prolifically. Zanetti himself prolonged his career into his early forties by moving from a pace‑driven wing‑back to a more central, experience‑based midfield role.
Luis Enrique’s quest for a squad of twenty true utility players may still be a dream, but PSG and Bayern Munich are already demonstrating how such flexibility can dominate elite competition. As the sport continues to evolve, the ability to adapt, to occupy any zone on the pitch, will likely become one of the most prized attributes for clubs and players alike.