Former Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has advocated for the elimination of draws in football matches, citing the need to enhance the sport’s appeal and compete with streaming giants like Netflix and TikTok.
Pique expressed concern over football’s ability to engage younger audiences, noting his own children’s dwindling interest in matches. He emphasized the importance of football as entertainment, stating that it must vie for attention against various digital platforms.
In an interview with The Times, the 37-year-old highlighted the genesis of the King’s League, attributing it to his observation of his children diverting their attention from football to digital devices during matches.
Pique remarked, “One reason we created the King’s League is I saw my kids watching a football match and after ten minutes they were on their phones and their tablets and watching other things at the same time. Football is entertainment, so it is not just competing with other sports. It competes with Netflix, Amazon, YouTube, TikTok. Everyone has limited time. Football for 90 minutes is not as exciting.
READ ALSO: Guardiola Treats Wenger to Lunch, Says Ex-Arsenal Boss Didn’t Pay for His Food
“You need to find ways to score more goals or that you cannot end a game as a draw. Maybe there are no draws, why not? In baseball and basketball there are no draws. You go to a game and it ends with a draw and the feeling is, ‘Who won?’”
