Luis Enrique surprised everyone with a series of tactical tweaks in Paris Saint-Germain's recent clash against Nice. He pushed left‑back Nuno Mendes up to the left wing, slipped centre‑back Lucas Beraldo into midfield, and placed left winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia as the central striker. The gamble paid off handsomely, delivering a 4‑0 victory.
Mendes thrived in his new position, while Nice struggled to cope with the fluidity of a side that seemed to switch shapes at will. "We let them play too freely," Nice boss Claude Puel lamented after the defeat. When asked whether he would continue to employ such "unexpected solutions" in the upcoming match versus Toulouse, Enrique gave a glimpse into his broader footballing philosophy and the way elite tactics are evolving.
"Of course, it's my dream," he said. "I would love 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 opponent's reaction when they see a line‑up that says, 'He can play everywhere…!' It's an ambitious goal, but I will strive for it." The next round of the Champions League saw PSG revert to a more conventional shape, with Mendes and Kvaratskhelia returning to their natural positions. Yet the team’s hallmark remained the same: positional interchangeability. 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 pulling Liverpool's defenders out of shape.
The graphics highlighted Kvaratskhelia to his left and Desire Doué to his right, underscoring that all three could operate across the entire attacking line. Their touch‑maps this season illustrate how unpredictable movement makes PSG a nightmare to mark. The same principle is evident in the opponent they now face in the semi‑finals: Vincent Kompany's Bayern Munich. Like Enrique’s side, Bayern borrow heavily from the Total Football ethos, with players shifting into roles rather than sticking to rigid positions.
The first leg was a showcase of that fluidity and the second promises more of the same. As Bayern 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 – deciding how to play, reacting to the opponent, and exploiting spaces. The classic 4‑2‑3‑1 or 4‑4‑2 is no longer the norm.
At kickoff you might see a formation, but during the game the defensive midfielder drifts wide, centre‑backs make central runs, and full‑backs surge into midfield. True specialists who can only do one thing will become rarer as the game becomes more dynamic." Bayern’s most versatile asset is Konrad Laimer.
Signed from RB Leipzig as a midfielder, he has since excelled at both right‑ and left‑back. His ability to switch roles within a match makes him indispensable. Eberl praised him, saying, "Laimer 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 a full‑back." Versatility is not limited to Bayern. Liverpool boast Dominik Szoboszlai, capable of playing anywhere in midfield, at right‑back, or even further up the pitch.
Manchester City, after losing Bernardo Silva, have turned to Nico O'Reilly, a midfielder who can also fill in at full‑back. Arsenal rely on Declan Rice, comfortable as a defensive midfielder, a box‑to‑box midfielder, and occasionally as a centre‑back, while Kai Havertz toggles between midfield, attack, and even a left‑back role under Julian Nagelsmann for Germany.
Real Madrid’s Federico Valverde epitomises the modern utility player, operating across the midfield spectrum and the right flank with equal proficiency. 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 this doctrine. During his playing days he featured in every outfield position except centre‑back for clubs such as 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 central defence 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 managers. Players today should develop that versatility." The push for adaptable players is driven by both style and practicality. As the calendar grows tighter and injuries mount, having multi‑position players offers tactical flexibility and financial savings.
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." Developing such adaptability is not purely innate. Zanetti emphasized hard work and coaching, saying, "I applied myself, absorbed every instruction, and focused on tactical intelligence throughout my career. That’s why managers trusted me in different roles." Not everyone agrees that this fluidity represents football’s future. Some critics argue that the rise of direct play and set‑piece reliance signals a regression rather than progression.
Nonetheless, many clubs are investing in youth programmes that nurture positional flexibility. Dan Micciche, a youth development specialist now at Al‑Ahli, explained, "Exposing players to various positions yields long‑term benefits. We once played a midfielder as a centre‑back to improve his aerial ability against a direct opponent." Micciche believes versatility can be taught through carefully designed sessions that force players into alternative roles, echoing a Total Football mindset where the team occupies a shape rather than fixed spots. He likens it to a volleyball approach, where players rotate continuously, especially after substitutions.
The payoff can be massive for both individuals and clubs, though it demands patience. Coaches often shy away because it may compromise immediate results, but the long‑term gains include career longevity. Harry Kane has increasingly dropped deeper to orchestrate play, while Cristiano Ronaldo reinvented himself as a pure striker in his late thirties, still scoring at 41. Zanetti, too, adapted to a deeper midfield role as his pace waned, extending his career into his forties.
Enrique’s quest for a squad of twenty universal players may seem lofty, yet PSG and Bayern already demonstrate the tangible advantages of such an approach. As the Champions League semi‑final second leg approaches, the ability to reshuffle personnel on the fly could prove decisive, underscoring that versatility is fast becoming football’s most valuable superpower.