Just wanted to start this topic to discuss which people revolutionized football. Here are some suggestions I made up myself.
Jean Marc Bosmann
Changed Europes transfer system after he was dissalowed to transfer to club in the 2nd french division. After the famous Bosman sentence players were allowed to choose a new club after their contract ended.
Karl Wald
A german (how else could it have been?) referee who invented the penalty shootout. Before Walds idea the refs had to flip a coin to find a winner if two teams drawed after extra extra time. The first PK shootout ever took place in a south german derby between Bad Tölz and Benediktbeuern. The first major trophy that was ever decided by a PK shootout was the 1976 Euro final which Germany lost to Czechoslovakia.
Edward Freedman
He made customers out of fans by making Manchester United the first football club that has a professional merchandising section
Andrew Webster
Is he the next Bosmann? Only time will tell if FIFA Paragraph 17 that allows players to leave a club besides an ongoing contract will be an important variable on the upcoming mercatos.
Herbert Chapman
One of Englands best coaches ever. Changed football by beeing the first one strenghten the defense by creating the world famous WM system.
Franz Beckenbauer
The "Kaiser" reinvented the Libero position by interpreting it as one that links up offense and defense of a team (like Andy P does it today). The Libero might not be as important in modern football than it was in the 70ies but Greece Euro victory (with Traianos Dellas as Libero in Otto Rehagels system) showed that the Libero can still be an important position in football.
Now what to you people think? Who turned the game upside down?