Levi Rothermund
European clubs weigh six substitutes and larger matchday squads to ease player load
Top clubs across Europe held private talks at the European Football Clubs’ general assembly in Rome last week about expanding matchday squads to 28 players and allowing six substitutions per game.
Who was involved
Delegates from more than 800 men’s and women’s clubs are represented by the EFC. Among those in Rome were Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal and Nottingham Forest. Big names such as Paris St-Germain, Inter Milan and Barcelona were also present.
What the proposals would change
The informal discussions covered granting teams three extra squad places on a matchday and increasing the number of substitutions from five to six. Any formal rule change would need the backing of the International Football Association Board first — there is no timeline for that.
Five substitutes were reintroduced in May 2020 when football resumed after the coronavirus shutdown, the Premier League returned to three for 2020-21, then voted to make five permanent from the 2022-23 season. Separately, an extra sub is already permitted to replace a player with a suspected head injury.
Supporters of the idea say three additional squad spots could reduce player workload after recent threats of industrial action. But sources close to the Professional Footballers’ Association have warned 28-man lists would not stop travelling or ease the mental strain of being part of a matchday group when you do not play.
Player examples and welfare work
One case cited to illustrate the burden: Tottenham defender Archie Gray was included in 80 matchday squads for club and country last season, a figure the story put level with Real Madrid midfielder Arda Guler. Gray, 19, made 48 appearances as Spurs won the Europa League and helped England Under-21s win Euro 2025.
In June, Uefa, the EFC, FifPro Europe and European Leagues launched a joint study to better assess injury types, performance and player welfare across congested calendars.
“Even if the player does not end up playing any minutes, they still have to be physically present and fully participate in team preparations, mentally prepare, while often spending time away from home and undertaking international travel. As such, these occasions are also part of the player’s working time commitments.”
The numbers on substitutes and goals
The move to allow more changes has changed the bench’s impact. In the inaugural Premier League season of 1992-93, just 4.7% of goals came from substitutes. That share crept up over decades, reached 9.8% in 2021-22 and jumped to 12.7% when teams could make two extra changes. This season that figure has climbed to an all-time high of 16.1%.
Between 1995-96 and 2018-19 the average number of substitute goals per season in the Premier League was 96. In the three full campaigns played under the five-substitute rule, that average rose to 146, and the total looks set to increase if current trends persist.
Do those goals change results? The most winning goals by substitutes in a season was 36 in 2023-24, but overall there has not been a dramatic swing in match outcomes. Teams do not always use their full allowance: since the five-substitute rule began, clubs have made all five changes in 43% of matches. Before the Covid lockdown, when three subs were available, teams used the maximum in around 59% of games.
Next steps
The EFC conversations were informal. Any formal proposal would need to go through the game’s rulemakers — and the debate will continue as governing bodies collect more data on injuries, travel and player well-being.