Luis Enrique surprised everyone with a series of tactical tweaks in Paris Saint-Germain's clash against Nice last month. 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 even repositioned left‑winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia as a striker.
These adjustments paid off handsomely, as PSG ran out 4‑0 winners, with Mendes delivering a standout performance in his new position while Nice struggled to contain the fluidity of their opponents. "We let them play too freely," Nice manager Claude Puel admitted after the match.
When reporters asked whether he would employ more "unexpected solutions" in the upcoming fixture against Toulouse, Enrique gave a clear answer that also shed light on a broader tactical shift occurring at the highest levels of the game. "Absolutely," he said. "It's my dream to have a squad of twenty players who can fill any outfield role.
Nuno Mendes as a full‑back, as a winger, as a No 9, even as a midfielder – everyone except the goalkeeper. Imagine the opposition coach seeing that line‑up and thinking, ‘He plays everywhere!’ It’s a dream, I know it’s hard, but I’ll try." The following week PSG returned to a more conventional shape for the Champions League quarter‑final second leg against Liverpool, with Mendes and Kvaratskhelia back in their natural positions. Yet the team’s performance still reflected the same underlying principle: positional interchangeability.
Ousmane Dembélé, nominally the No 9, drifted across the front line, creating space for himself and pulling Liverpool defenders out of shape. The line‑up graphic showed Kvaratskhelia on his left and Desire Doué on his right, but all three could operate anywhere across the attack, a flexibility highlighted by their touch‑maps throughout the season.
That same fluid approach is on display in the other semi‑finalist, Bayern Munich, coached by Julian Nagelsmann and overseen by sporting director Max Eberl. Bayern, like PSG, have embraced a modern version of Total Football, where players rotate into different roles rather than staying locked into a single position. "Harry Kane doesn’t just wait in the box," Eberl explained in February.
"Michael Olise and Luis Diaz aren’t just one‑on‑one wingers, and Joshua Kimmich moves between right‑back and defensive midfield. Football today is about creativity – how do we react to the opponent’s shape, where are the gaps we can exploit? The old rigid 4‑2‑3‑1 or 4‑4‑2 formations are becoming relics." Eberl added that during a match the defensive midfielder may drift wide, centre‑backs may make runs into midfield, and full‑backs may cut inside, creating a constantly shifting shape that is difficult for opponents to predict. He believes that pure specialists – players who can only perform one function – will become rarer as the sport evolves into a more dynamic, variable contest.
Konrad Laimer exemplifies Bayern’s versatility. Signed from RB Leipzig as a central midfielder, Laimer has since been deployed at both right‑back and left‑back, adapting his game to the needs of the team on a weekly basis. "Konny is perfect for that," Eberl said.
"He started as a No 10 at Red Bull Salzburg, became a No 8 at Leipzig, and now he’s playing as a full‑back in the way Vinny envisions a full‑back." Laimer’s modest profile belies his importance to Bayern, and similar stories can be found at other elite clubs. Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai can slot into midfield, right‑back, or even the front line. Manchester City, while losing Bernardo Silva, have added the versatile Nico O'Reilly, who can cover both midfield and defensive flanks.
Arsenal boast Declan Rice, comfortable at defensive midfield (No 6), a more advanced midfield role (No 8), and even as a centre‑back in a pinch, while his teammate Kai Havertz has been used as a left‑back by Germany’s Julian Nagelsmann. Real Madrid’s Federico Valverde is another prime example, capable of playing anywhere across the midfield or on the right wing, adjusting his game seamlessly to the tactical demands of each match. Valverde’s teammate Trent Alexander‑Arnold once called him "the most underrated player on the planet" after a hat‑trick against Manchester City, adding, "There is no flaw in him. It doesn’t matter where you put him," echoed manager Álvaro Arbeloa.
Valverde thus sets a benchmark for the kind of all‑round utility that modern coaches prize. Luis Enrique himself is a fitting advocate for versatility, having played in every outfield position except centre‑back during his playing career at Sporting Gijón, Real Madrid, Barcelona, and the Spanish national team. Javier Zanetti is another legendary figure; primarily a right‑back, he 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.
"It’s vital because it lets you fill the spot the 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 any position.
Players today should aim for that versatility." The push for adaptable players is not only stylistic but also practical. With an increasingly congested calendar, frequent injuries, and financial constraints, clubs value squad members who can cover multiple roles. Former Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez summed it up in 2024: "If one player can cover three positions, you don’t need three separate signings – those players save you money." Of course, not every player can transition effortlessly.
Zanetti stresses that versatility is largely a product of hard work and tactical education. "I applied myself a lot. Whenever I had to play a new position, I focused, absorbed the coach’s instructions, and used that guidance. Tactical intelligence is essential, but I built it over my career.
My attributes allowed managers to trust me in different roles." While many celebrate this fluidity, some critics argue that the game is reverting to a more direct, set‑piece‑heavy style, suggesting that the emphasis on versatility may be overstated. Nonetheless, developing home‑grown talent capable of operating in several positions remains a priority for many academies. 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 how clubs incorporate versatility into training. "Exposing players to different positions is about the outcomes they gain," he told Sky Sports.
"It depends on individual development plans. For instance, at Spurs we once played a midfielder as a centre‑back against tall strikers to improve his aerial ability." Micciche believes versatility can be taught through carefully designed sessions that force players into varied roles, using a Total‑Football‑inspired playing style that prioritises shape over fixed positions. He likens it to a volleyball approach where players constantly rotate, especially during substitutions, gaining experience across the pitch.
The benefits are substantial: players enjoy longer careers, clubs reduce transfer costs, and teams gain tactical unpredictability. However, implementing such a philosophy requires a long‑term mindset, as coaches may hesitate to sacrifice immediate results for developmental gains.
"Most coaches avoid it because it can affect match outcomes and they want to win now," Micciche admits. Nevertheless, several high‑profile stars illustrate the career‑extending power of adaptability. Harry Kane has increasingly dropped deeper to act as a playmaker, arriving late in the box to finish chances.
Cristiano Ronaldo, at 41, transitioned from a wide attacker to a pure striker, still scoring prolifically. Zanetti, too, shifted from a pace‑driven winger to a more central midfield role as his speed waned, allowing him to compete at the top level until the age of 41. Luis Enrique’s ambition to assemble "20 players who can play everywhere" may seem utopian, but PSG and Bayern Munich are already reaping the rewards of such flexibility, hinting at a future where positional fluidity becomes a cornerstone of elite football. The upcoming Champions League semi‑final between Paris Saint‑Germain and Bayern Munich will offer another showcase of this evolving tactical landscape.
Follow the live coverage of the first leg on the Sky Sports website and app on Tuesday, kickoff 8 pm.