Luis Enrique made some tactical surprises during meetings with Paris Saint-Germain and Nice last month. Left-back Nuno Mendes was deployed on the left wing, centre-back Lucas Berardo played in midfield, and left-winger Hviča Kvaratschelia moved forward.
This change allowed Nuno Mendes to star in his new role, but Nice were unable to cope with the fluidity of their opponents’ positions and PSG won 4-0. “We let them play too freely,” head coach Claude Puel lamented.
Asked if he would consider using more “unexpected solutions” in PSG’s next game against Toulouse in two weeks’ time, Luis Enrique gave a shining insight into his thinking and, more broadly, one of the ways in which elite football is evolving tactically.
“Of course,” he said. “That’s my dream. To have 20 players who can play anywhere: Nuno Mendes as a full-back, Nuno Mendes as a winger, Nuno Mendes as a number nine, Nuno Mendes as a midfielder. Everyone except the goalkeeper, that’s my dream.”
Nuno Mendes became Luis Enrique’s key player at PSG
“You can imagine opposing coaches looking at the lineup and saying, ‘But he plays everywhere…!’
“It’s a dream. I think it will be difficult to achieve, but I will try.”
The team that subsequently defeated Liverpool in the Champions League quarter-finals in two games took on a more traditional look, with Nuno Mendes and Kvaratschelia returning to their natural roles. But performance was defined by the same liquidity.
Defenders move into midfield, midfielders switch left and right, and the front three encourage rotation. Ousmane Dembélé scored twice in the second leg as the nominal No. 9, but appeared all over the place, finding space for himself or dragging Liverpool defenders out of position to free up space for others.
The lineup graphic had Kvaratskeria on the left and Desiree Due on the right, but all three players can play across the line. The touch map of this season’s Champions League highlights the unpredictability that makes PSG so difficult to contain.
Paris Saint-Germain’s front three frequently rotate into different spaces.
The same flexibility will be seen in the teams competing in the last four of the Champions League. Vincent Kompany’s Bayern Munich, like Luis Enrique’s PSG, have adopted a total football technique, with players rotating into different positions rather than playing fixed roles.
“Harry Kane doesn’t just stand in the box and wait,” sporting director Max Eberle explained in February. “Michael Olise and Luis Diaz don’t just play on the wing in one-on-one situations. Joshua Kimmich moves between right-back and defensive midfield.
“I think creativity is more important in football today. How do I want to play? What do I need to react to? How is the opponent set up? And where are the spaces that I need to exploit? It’s no longer the classic, rigid 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2 formation.
My dream is to have 20 players who can play anywhere
PSG coach Luis Enrique
“When you see a tactical formation on TV at the start of a match, it can be completely different, because in reality the defensive midfielders and number 10s flow wide, and the centre-backs and full-backs run into the middle…
“I believe that true specialists who can only do one thing will become rarer and rarer, simply because the game is becoming more dynamic and changing.”
The player who best represents Bayern’s Munich flexibility is Konrad Reimer, who joined from RB Leipzig as a midfielder but has since excelled at both right-back and left-back. His versatility, which can be used on a game-by-game basis as well as within a game, makes him invaluable.
Konrad Reimer plays a wide range of roles at Bayern Munich
“Connie is a perfect fit for that,” Eberle added. “He started as a number 10 at Red Bull Salzburg and then became number 8 at RB Leipzig. He also joined us as a midfielder, but now he plays as a full-back, the way Vinny envisions him.”
I think true specialists who can only do one thing will become increasingly rare.
Max Hebert, sporting director of Bayern Munich
Reimer’s modest status is out of proportion to his importance at Bayern Munich. But similar versatility can be found in the most valuable players of other elite clubs.
Liverpool have Dominik Szoboszlai. He is a player who can play anywhere, in midfield, right-back or even as part of the forward line. Manchester City lost Bernardo Silva this summer, but have signed midfielder and full-back Nico O’Reilly.
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Gary Neville was in awe of Nico O’Reilly’s audacious touchline skills against Arsenal
Arsenal have Declan Rice, who can play comfortably in a centre-back role as a number six or eight, while team-mate Kai Havertz can play in midfield or up front, and was once used as a predatory left-back by Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann.
The best example may be Real Madrid’s Federico Valverde. He can play anywhere up or down midfield or on the right flank and always adapts seamlessly to what is required of him.
Teammate Trent Alexander-Arnold called him “the most underrated player on the planet” after scoring a hat-trick against Manchester City last month. “He has no faults,” he added. “It doesn’t matter where we put him,” coach Alvaro Arbeloa said.
Zanetti and the secret of versatility
Valverde set the standard for versatility in today’s match.
Federico Valverde scored a stunning hat-trick in the Champions League against Man City
Luis Enrique, on the other hand, deserves this championship, given that his playing in all outfield positions, centre-back and bar was undoubtedly his main characteristic as a player for Sporting Gijon, Real Madrid, Barcelona and for the Spanish national team.
Javier Zanetti is another one.
The Inter and Argentina legend was primarily a right-back, but he also excelled as a left-back, holding midfielder and central defender. He played all four roles during Inter’s victorious 2009-10 Champions League campaign under Jose Mourinho.
“This is very important because it allows us to play where the team needs us most,” Zanetti, who is currently Inter’s vice president, told Sky Sports.
Inter’s legendary captain Javier Zanetti played until he was 41 years old
“That way you gain the trust of your teammates and the coach and know that they think you can cover a certain position. I think players today should have that versatility.”
That’s necessary partly for stylistic reasons. Eberle is not alone in thinking the game is becoming more dynamic at the elite level. But there are also practical reasons. As the calendar gets more demanding and injuries increase, the value of versatility increases.
There are also economic factors in its favor. Former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez told Sky Sports in 2024: “If you have one player who can play in three positions, you don’t need to bring in three players for each position.” “These players will save you money.”
This is very important because it allows you to play where your team needs you most.
Javier Zanetti talks about versatility
Of course, some players find it easier to adapt to different positions and distinct tactical demands than others. But Zanetti rejects the idea that versatility is innate.
“I tested myself a lot,” he says. “Whenever I had to play in a different position, I was able to cope well because I was always very focused and absorbed all the information given to me by the coach. The help from the coach was very important.”
“Certainly tactical intelligence is fundamental, but I have developed it throughout my playing career. I think that because of my characteristics as a player, each manager saw that I had the ability to easily adapt to different roles. That’s why they trusted me.”
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Dominik Szoboszlai’s sensational free-kicks are just part of his skills
Not everyone agrees that the fluidity shown by teams such as PSG and Bayern Munich is indicative of the direction of football. Some argue that the recent trend towards directness and set pieces is actually evidence that the game is going backwards.
However, developing raw players with the flexibility to play in multiple positions is certainly a focus for many clubs.
Dan Misiche, a youth development expert who has held roles at Everton, Arsenal, Spurs and England and is currently academy manager at Al Ahly in Saudi Arabia, explains how to adjust training sessions and tactics accordingly.
“In my opinion, exposing players to different positions is more about the results they get out of it,” he told Sky Sports. “It also depends on individual development plans.
“I remember, for example, a game at Spurs where he played as a midfielder against a tall striker as a centre-back. Why? Because he needed to be better in the air and with his header and we knew they were going to come direct.”
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Watch Michael Olise’s stunning goal as Bayern Munich beat Mainz 4-3.
He agrees that versatility can be coached. “It’s about session design, where training constraints force players into different positions, and the use of a more total football-based style of play, playing to shape rather than position.
“There is also a volleyball-style approach, with players moving around throughout the match and being exposed to different positions, especially during substitutions.”
The benefits could be immense for both players and clubs, he added. However, such an approach requires a long-term perspective. “Most coaches don’t do this because it often affects the outcome of the game and they want to win at all costs.”
Of course, not only the coaches but also the young players have the will to win. But investing time and resources in developing adaptability also has clear longevity benefits.
As Harry Kane grew older, he leant towards his playmaking qualities, dropping into midfield and appearing regularly before becoming a late arrival in the box. Cristiano Ronaldo transitioned from a wide player to an out-and-out striker in his 30s, and is still scoring goals at the age of 41.
Harry Kane’s heatmap shows he becomes more active the further away he is from goal
Going back even further, Zanetti provides another example of a player who was able to excel in the cornerstone of Inter’s midfield when his pace and dynamism began to decline late in his extraordinary 30-year career at the highest level.
“It was definitely important,” Zanetti says. “I was lucky enough to play until I was 41, and not only was I able to stay in shape to the level I needed to be, but that helped me a lot.”
How much does coach Luis Enrique value a player like Zanetti? But even as his quest for “20 players who can play anywhere” continues, PSG, like Bayern Munich, have shown the value of versatility and the important role it can play in the future of football.
The Champions League semi-final first leg between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich will be broadcast live on the Sky Sports website and app blog on Tuesday. Kickoff at 8pm
