Gourcuff calls rule changes "immeasurable bulls**t"

Paris - Rennes coach Christian Gourcuff has slammed Marco van Basten's proposed rule changes, labelling his ideas as "immeasurable bulls**t".

The FIFA chief official for technical development put forward a number of suggestions this week, including scrapping the off-side rule, limiting the number of fouls one player can make during games, and a sin-bin.

The Dutch legend also put forward the idea of replacing penalty shootouts with eight-second run-ups in a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper, amongst others.

Gourcuff, along with a number of Premier League managers, feels the changes would only make for a poorer game.

Ahead of his side's Ligue 1 match with Guingamp, he said: "This is the worst c**p I have read in a long time and yet I did not read it wrong. 

"It's immeasurable bulls**t.

"We would return to the time of village versus village, and at the time it ended with players being killed.

"The offside is a manifestation of collective intelligence. There would be no more collective spirit if the offside rule was removed.

"The offside rule is fundamental - if you do not understand that, you do not understand football."

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger added: "Some of the proposals are discussable, some of them I don't see any big interest in.

"The one I don't find interesting is to suppress offside. I think offside is what makes the teams fit together, it's a big quality of the team sport, an intelligent rule. It's very important to keep that in the game.

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino also had his say.

He explained: "I understand that sometimes when you are in a position you need to try to find ideas, but I don't want a system without offside.

"If we play without rules, we have to be careful with that. I read some sentences but I don't know.

"My first impression I think is, be careful. Because in football to change the rules is a very difficult thing."