Jurgen Klinsmann calls for major rule change that he claims would have helped England at Euro 2024 in move that would see UEFA revert back to previous regulations

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Jurgen Klinsmann has called for a major rule change after the Euro 2024 final that he thinks would have helped England.

The Three Lions fell short in their bid to win a first major trophy since 1966 on Sunday night when they lost 2-1 against Spain in the final of the competition in Berlin.

It had looked like the game was going to extra time after Cole Palmer cancelled out Nico WIlliams' opener in the second half, but Mikel Oyarzabal poked home minutes from time to give Spain the win.

England were second best in the game, having been underdogs going into the final. The general verdict was that Spain deserved to win the game and lift their fourth European Championship.

Former Tottenham man Klinsmann, however, has suggested a way England's tournament could have been improved in reverting a recent rule change to help the side.

Jurgen Klinsmann has suggested a rule change that he feels could have benefitted England at Euro 2024

The Three Lions came up short once again in the final of the competition in Berlin on Sunday

Klinsmann (pictured) suggested that going back to three substitutions rather than five could have helped the side

'The leadership of [Jude] Bellingham and [Harry] Kane is so huge, even if in a moment they are down to 80 per cent, who cares?' he wrote in The Sun. 'You want them out there for the decisive stuff at key moments.

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'If you ask a player after 70 minutes, "Are you tired?" then I'm sure he's tired but it becomes a handy excuse now because of that five-subs rule.

'It's a Covid rule and Covid is finished. I'd go back to three subs and 23-man squads for tournaments.'

England manager Gareth Southgate made just three substitutes in the final, with Cole Palmer, Ivan Toney and Ollie Watkins introduced from the bench.

He had been set to bring on Conor Gallagher and Kieran Trippier before the winning goal, but changed his mind as he chased the game late on.

Out of England's seven games in Germany, the manager used all five substitutions in three out of his side's seven matches, with Palmer scoring in the final from the bench.

Kane was taken off early in the final, with the England captain some way off his best throughout the tournament. 

Klinsmann suggested that needing players to push through until the end of the game rather than having the chance to take them off early would benefit sides.

Harry Kane was substituted early in the final, with the forward a way off his best throughout the competition

Cole Palmer was regularly used off the bench and netted for his side in Sunday night's final

There have been claims that the number of substitutions allowed being upped to five has helped bigger sides, with the options to dip into on the bench being of higher quality than lower-ranked sides.

The rule was changed during Covid in May 2020, but the Premier League reverted back to three substitutes being allowed in the 2020-21 season.

From the 2022-23 season, however, it was changed to five, despite clubs voting against the change on two previous occasions.

International football followed suit soon after, and there have been no indications that the rule is set to change back.