A potentially significant rule change in football may soon be introduced, shaped by the relationship between two prominent figures in the Premier League.
David Dein, the former vice-chairman of Arsenal, is a strong supporter of a proposal to reduce the length of a football match from 90 minutes.
Following his time at Arsenal, Dein has maintained a close friendship with club legend Arsène Wenger, with whom he collaborated for over a decade and has remained friends for nearly thirty years.
With Wenger now serving as FIFA’s head of global football development and a crucial member of the International FA Board, it’s likely he will seriously consider Dein’s proposal. Dein contends that it is unrealistic to expect referees to accurately calculate stoppage time at the end of each half, advocating instead for matches to consist of two 30-minute halves with a stopped clock for interruptions.
In a conversation on talkSPORT’s Sunday Edition, the 81-year-old stated, “I’ve asked Premier League referees if the time shown by the fourth official for stoppage is accurate to the last ten seconds.
“The answer is always ‘No, no chance.’
“We need clarity on match duration, so my suggestion is simple.
“The average ball-in-play time in the Premier League and most Western European games is about 55 to 57 minutes.
“I propose real-time halves of 30 minutes each, where the ball is in play for that entire time.
“We should have a visible clock to monitor the remaining time.”
Dein mentioned England’s Euro 2024 final loss to Spain, noting that over nine minutes of actual play were lost during the match, yet only four minutes were added at the end. He explained, “Goal celebrations can take around two minutes, a VAR review might take another two minutes, injuries could add one or two minutes, plus substitutions. In total, that can easily reach ten minutes.
“This is consistently more than what gets added on.
“I would like to see the clock stop whenever time is wasted.”
Dein also shared that he has discussed this concept with two top Premier League referees, stating, “I’ve talked to Howard Webb and Anthony Taylor, who showed their support.
“The next step is for IFAB to consider a trial.”
