logo
11-a-side Format Will Always Be Cornerstone Of Football

11-a-side Format Will Always Be Cornerstone Of Football

Barnama19-07-2025
KUALA LUMPUR, July 19 (Bernama) -- Former Manchester United star Ryan Giggs believes the traditional 11-a-side format will continue to be the cornerstone of global football, despite the growing popularity of small-sided formats such as 7-a-side.
Speaking at a Liga 7x7 All Stars 2025 tournament event held at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium, Cheras, here, the Welshman said even though the shorter format offers entertainment and engagement, particularly among younger audiences, but it cannot replace the full version of the game.
'I think obviously 11-a-side will always be there, and I think there's room for smaller formats of the game as well.
bootstrap slideshow
'Quicker games, rolling subs, more goals, more excitement, but it'll never replace 11-a-side because that's your bread and butter in every league and every international league in the world,' he told a pre match press conference, here, today.
Meanwhile, former Chelsea and England captain John Terry shared similar sentiments, saying the 7-a-side format is exciting and has strong digital appeal, especially when combined with social media personalities and content creators.
'This format and this style of football is very exciting. The game's changed over the last 10 years and the actual following of these kinds of games and events is really big,' he said.
On the other hand, Manchester United forward Dimitar Berbatov, said the small-sided football has its advantage in developing technical ability, thanks to its tight spaces.
'This type of football is always popular in my country (Bulgaria). Even when I was a little boy, I still play to this day five-a-side, six-a-side, seven-a-side, so it's nothing new to me,' he said.
For today's tournament, Giggs will lead Team Wizards, Terry will be the captain Team Bangsa Bola, Berbatov will spearhead Team Zurich while former national striker Safee Sali will spearhead Team Harimau.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

BAJC: My expectations were met
BAJC: My expectations were met

The Star

time20 minutes ago

  • The Star

BAJC: My expectations were met

Singles head coach Kenneth Jonassen will not make a hasty decision on the appointment of a new women's singles coach after Jeffer Rosobin's resignation. KUALA LUMPUR: The failure of Malaysia's singles shuttlers to reach the quarter-finals at the Asia Junior Championships in Solo, Indonesia, came as no surprise to national singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen. Jonassen said that while the outcome may appear disappointing, it aligned with his expectations going into the recently concluded tournament held at the GOR Indoor Manahan Solo. "Am I disappointed? Maybe for some individual performances that I thought could have been better. But my expectations were met, so to speak. "I know where we are. I understand and I fully accept that we have an ambition a lot more than we produced this time," he told reporters during a training session here today. Malaysia ended their campaign at the Asian juniors without a single medal, with both the singles and doubles departments falling short. This year's results mark a significant drop from their 2024 performance, when the national junior squad returned with one silver and three bronze medals. The Dane, who has been working closely with the junior squad over the past several months, said he and his team had identified three key areas for immediate focus moving forward: physicality, tactical discipline and mental resilience. Although several juniors are currently training with the senior national squad, Jonassen warned against expecting quick results. "Just because we made some changes, with them now training with the senior team, it's not that easy. Development doesn't happen overnight. It's a long process. "Everybody wants changes all the time. But actually, what you need is to continue down the path you've already taken, maybe with a few tweaks, and then you can deliver results eventually," he said. — Bernama

Pearly-Thinaah hit career-high world no 2 in latest BWF rankings
Pearly-Thinaah hit career-high world no 2 in latest BWF rankings

Sinar Daily

timean hour ago

  • Sinar Daily

Pearly-Thinaah hit career-high world no 2 in latest BWF rankings

Former national women's doubles pair, Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty were the last Malaysian pair to reach this high, back in 2009. 29 Jul 2025 05:08pm Pearly-Thinaah climbed one spot with 89,416 points, trailing only China's Liu Sheng Shu-Tan Ning, who remain in the top position with 111,634 points. KUALA LUMPUR - National top women's doubles pair Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah have risen to a career-high world number two in the latest Badminton World Federation (BWF) rankings released today. Pearly-Thinaah climbed one spot with 89,416 points, trailing only China's Liu Sheng Shu-Tan Ning, who remain in the top position with 111,634 points. Former national women's doubles pair, Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty were the last Malaysian pair to reach this high, back in 2009. Meanwhile, another national pair, Go Pei Kee-Teoh Mei Xing, broke into the top 20, moving up two spots to rank 20th with 45,090 points. In men's doubles, China Open 2025 runners-up Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik maintained their second-place ranking with 94,950 points, behind Japan Open 2025 champions Kim Won Ho-Seo Seung Jae of South Korea with 99,405 points. Former world number one and professional pair Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani dropped one spot to fourth with 80,980 points. In mixed doubles, national duo Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei returned to the top three with 85,013 points, climbed one spot from fourth. Independent pair Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie dropped two spots to eighth place with 72,998 points, while national pair Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin slipped to 16th from 13th with 52,363 points. In the men's singles, Leong Jun Hao is currently Malaysia's top-ranked player, climbing two spots to 24th with 46,551 points while professional shuttler Lee Zii Jia, sidelined by injury since March, fell two spots to 35th with 38,890 points. In the women's singles category, national shuttler K. Letshanaa rose one place to 41st with 32,918 points, while professional player Goh Jin Wei dropped two places to 47th with 30,165 points. - BERNAMA More Like This

Pearly-Thinaah hits career-high world No 2 in BWF rankings
Pearly-Thinaah hits career-high world No 2 in BWF rankings

The Sun

time2 hours ago

  • The Sun

Pearly-Thinaah hits career-high world No 2 in BWF rankings

NATIONAL women's doubles pair Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah have achieved a career-high world No 2 ranking in the latest Badminton World Federation (BWF) standings. The duo climbed one spot with 89,416 points, now trailing only China's Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning, who remain top with 111,634 points. This marks the highest ranking by a Malaysian women's doubles pair since Chin Eei Hui and Wong Pei Tty held the position in 2009. Pearly-Thinaah's rise follows consistent performances, including strong showings in recent tournaments. Meanwhile, national pair Go Pei Kee and Teoh Mei Xing entered the top 20 for the first time, moving up two spots to 20th with 45,090 points. In men's doubles, Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik maintained their second-place ranking with 94,950 points, behind South Korea's Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae (99,405 points). Former world No 1 Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani slipped to fourth (80,980 points), while mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei returned to the top three (85,013 points). Independent duo Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Lai Jemie dropped to eighth (72,998 points). In singles, Leong Jun Hao rose to 24th (46,551 points), while injured Lee Zii Jia fell to 35th (38,890 points). Women's singles player K. Letshanaa improved to 41st (32,918 points), but Goh Jin Wei dropped to 47th (30,165 points). – Bernama

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store