Jurgen Klinsmann has called for football to revert from allowing five substitutes back to the original three.
The five-substitute rule was introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic, with teams still restricted to three substitution windows outside half-time and full-time breaks. Individual leagues and international tournaments, including the recent European Championships, chose to maintain this adjustment even after its initial implementation as a special measure.
In the Euro 2024 final, neither team utilized all five substitutes. England made just three changes, while Spain waited until the 89th minute to make their fourth.
Klinsmann, who managed South Korea at the most recent Asian Cup, acknowledges the rationale behind the rule change. However, he believes it is now time to revert to the previous format.
“[Gareth] Southgate said that he was going to substitute [Jude] Bellingham just before Mikel Oyarzabal’s winner,” Klinsmann told The Sun. “The problem now for us coaches is, with five subs allowed, you always think you can bring on fresh legs.
“I hate that because I want Bellingham to fight through it. If your mindset is right, you can do that. You can have tired legs and still absolutely make the difference.
“If you ask a player after 70 minutes, ‘Are you tired?’ then I’m sure he’s tired but it becomes a handy excuse now because of that five-subs rule,” he added. “The Covid rule is no longer applicable, as Covid has ended. I’d go back to three subs and 23-man squads for tournaments.”
England benefited from leaving Bellingham on the pitch against Slovakia, with the Real Madrid midfielder scoring a last-gasp equalizer to keep Southgate’s team in the competition. However, there was little time to respond after Oyarzabal’s winner in Berlin, with a goalline clearance from Dani Olmo preserving Spain’s advantage, ultimately crowning them champions.
After the game, defender Kieran Trippier dismissed fatigue as a reason for England’s second successive Euros final defeat. “We have a fit team,” he said. “If you see the running stats, we’re probably the highest in the whole tournament. So that’s not an excuse.”
England named a relatively youthful squad for the tournament, with 21-year-old Bellingham and 19-year-old Kobbie Mainoo starting the final. “They will have learned a great deal from this tournament,” Newcastle full-back Trippier said of the younger squad members.
“The young players stepped up in big moments for us; Cole (Palmer) came on and scored, assisted Ollie (Watkins) in the last game. I’ve been through this situation before. The young players can learn a lot from this. It will make them grow.”
