Luis Enrique surprised everyone with a series of tactical tweaks in Paris Saint-Germain's recent clash against Nice. He shifted left‑back Nuno Mendes onto the left wing, deployed centre‑back Lucas Beraldo in midfield, and placed left winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia up front as a striker.
These adjustments paid off, delivering a 4‑0 victory as Mendes shone in his new position and Nice struggled to cope with the fluid, ever‑shifting shape of the Parisian side. "We let them play too freely," Nice manager Claude Puel lamented after the defeat. When reporters asked whether he would continue to employ such "unexpected solutions" in the upcoming match versus Toulouse two weeks later, Enrique offered a glimpse into his broader tactical philosophy and the direction in which elite football appears to be moving. "Absolutely," he replied.
"It's a dream of mine to have a squad of twenty players who can operate anywhere on the pitch. Nuno Mendes as a full‑back, as a winger, as a No 9, as a midfielder – everyone except the goalkeeper. Imagine the opposition manager seeing that line‑up and thinking, 'He plays everywhere!' It's an ambitious goal, but I will strive for it." In the subsequent Champions League quarter‑final against Liverpool, PSG reverted to a more traditional arrangement with Mendes and Kvaratskhelia back in their natural roles, yet the team’s hallmark remained the same: positional interchangeability.
Defenders dropped into midfield, midfielders swapped flanks, and the front three rotated constantly. Ousmane Dembélé, nominally the No 9, scored a brace in the second leg while roaming all over the attacking third, dragging Liverpool defenders out of shape and creating space for teammates. The match graphics highlighted Kvaratskhelia on one side and Desire Doué on the other, underscoring that all three attackers can function across the entire front line. Their touch‑map data this season further illustrate the unpredictability that makes PSG such a difficult side to contain.
A similar brand of fluid football is on display in the semi‑final opponent, Bayern Munich, coached by Vincent Kompany. Like Enrique’s side, Bayern borrow heavily from the principles of Total Football, encouraging players to occupy multiple zones rather than fixed positions. This produced an enthralling first leg and promises more of the same in the return fixture.
"Harry Kane doesn’t simply wait in the box," Bayern sporting director Max Eberl explained in February. "Michael Olise and Luis Diaz don’t just hug the touchline; Joshua Kimmich alternates between right‑back and defensive midfield.
Modern football is about creativity – how you want to play, what the opponent is doing, and where the exploitable spaces are. The classic rigid 4‑2‑3‑1 or 4‑4‑2 is fading." Eberl continued: "When you see the tactical diagram at kickoff, it often looks completely different because the defensive midfielder and the No 10 drift wide, centre‑backs and full‑backs make central runs… True specialists who can only perform one function will become rarer as the game grows more dynamic and variable." Bayern’s most versatile asset is Konrad Laimer. 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 single match has made 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 operates as a full‑back in the way Vinny envisions the position." Laimer’s modest profile belies his importance to the German giants.
Comparable examples of multi‑positional talent can be found at other top clubs. Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai can play anywhere in midfield, at right‑back, or even as a forward.
Manchester City, despite losing Bernardo Silva, have acquired Nico O'Reilly, a player comfortable as both midfielder and full‑back. Arsenal boast Declan Rice, capable of operating as a defensive midfielder, a box‑to‑box midfielder, or even a centre‑back in emergencies, while teammate Kai Havertz has been deployed as a left‑back by Germany’s Julian Nagelsmann. Perhaps the most illustrative case is Real Madrid’s Federico Valverde.
He can occupy any midfield slot or patrol the right flank, adapting seamlessly to the team’s needs. His teammate Trent Alexander‑Arnold hailed him as "the most underrated player on the planet" after Valverde’s hat‑trick against Manchester City. Manager Álvaro Arbeloa summed it up: "There is no flaw in him; it doesn’t matter where you place him." Luis Enrique himself embodies the versatility he champions.
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. Former Inter and Argentina stalwart Javier Zanetti is 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 in Inter’s 2009/10 Champions League triumph under José Mourinho.
"Versatility is vital because it lets you fill the spots 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 various positions. Players today should strive for that flexibility." The push for adaptable players is driven not only by style but also by practicality. A congested calendar and a rise in injuries make multi‑position athletes extremely valuable.
Financial considerations also play a part. Former Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez explained to Sky Sports in 2024: "If one player can cover three positions, you don’t need to sign three specialists – it saves money." Adapting to new roles is easier for some than others, but Zanetti rejects the notion that versatility is purely innate. "I worked hard," he said.
"Whenever I was asked to play somewhere else, I focused, absorbed the coach’s instructions, and applied them. Tactical intelligence is essential, but I built it over my career.
My attributes allowed managers to trust me in different jobs." Not everyone agrees that the fluidity displayed by PSG, Bayern and similar clubs represents the future of football. Some observers argue that the recent surge in direct play and set‑piece reliance signals a regression rather than progress.
Nevertheless, many clubs are investing in developing home‑grown talent capable of performing in multiple roles. Dan Micciche, a youth‑development specialist who has worked with Everton, Arsenal, Tottenham and England and now serves as academy manager at Al‑Ahli in Saudi Arabia, explains his approach: "Exposing players to various positions is about the outcomes they gain. It also fits individual development plans. For instance, at Spurs we once played a midfielder at centre‑back against tall strikers to improve his aerial ability because we knew the opponent would be direct." Micciche believes versatility can be taught.
"It’s about designing sessions where constraints force players into different spots, and adopting a Total‑Football‑style system that values shape over fixed positions. Think of a volleyball approach: players rotate throughout the game, especially when substitutions are made." The benefits are substantial for both athletes and clubs, though the method demands a long‑term perspective. "Most coaches avoid it because it may affect immediate results, and they want to win now," Micciche notes. Yet the payoff includes greater career longevity.
Harry Kane has increasingly dropped deeper to create and assist, while Cristiano Ronaldo, now 41, transitioned from a winger to a pure striker, maintaining his goal output. Zanetti himself shifted to a deeper midfield role as his pace waned, extending his career to 41 years.
"That was crucial," Zanetti reflected. "Staying fit and adapting allowed me to keep playing at the highest level for three decades." Luis Enrique’s quest for a squad of twenty players who can operate anywhere continues, and PSG’s ongoing experiments, alongside Bayern’s similar philosophy, underline how indispensable versatility is becoming in modern football. The trend suggests that future success will increasingly belong to teams and individuals who can fluidly adjust their positions, respond to tactical demands, and exploit space wherever it appears.