New international league to replace friendlies

Chancer3001 · 04-12-2014 7:12pm #1

This sounds like an excellent idea.

It's for the European teams.

4 groups of 12.

Best 12 in group a etc

There will be promotion and relegation between groups.

The 12 teams will play champions league style games and each will have a winner.

No more pointless run outs.

I think it'll be brilliant

GavRedKing · 04-12-2014 7:14pm

Link?

Chancer3001 · 04-12-2014 7:19pm

Was just watching it on sky news.

It must have been very breaking news as it's not even on their website yet.

There will be play off places for the European championships up for grabs too. Adds even more incentive

Duck Soup · 04-12-2014 7:20pm

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/international/uefa-approve-new-nations-league-for-2018-9904244.html

UEFA's first new 'Nations League' - the competition which is being brought in to replace a number of friendly dates - will be played between September and November 2018, it has been announced.

Each country will play six matches in the new tournament, which will see UEFA's 52 countries split into four divisions, each with four groups of three or four teams.

The winners of the four groups in division A - which will be made up the strongest teams - will play semi-finals and final in June 2019 to become the UEFA Nations League champions.

The four semi-finalists will also qualify automatically for the finals of Euro 2020, which is being played in 13 countries across Europe with the final at London's Wembley stadium.

Chancer3001 · 04-12-2014 8:07pm

Thoughts?

The 4 finalists qualifying automatically is weird because it will be the major teams Spain, Italy, France , Germany etc...

So they won't have to play qualifying games?

That could be a serious disadvantage...

Or else they qualify and their games don't count...

ShooterSF · 04-12-2014 10:11pm

So the best teams in Europe will now only need to play 6 games to qualify for the Euros. Why not just give them a bye at this stage.

0byme75341jo28 · 04-12-2014 10:13pm

Sounds like a good idea, but they should really sort out the whole coefficients system as well. It's a joke in it's current form.

dreamers75 · 04-12-2014 11:06pm

ShooterSF wrote: »

So the best teams in Europe will now only need to play 6 games to qualify for the Euros. Why not just give them a bye at this stage.

Its not the Euros.

ShooterSF · 04-12-2014 11:21pm

dreamers75 wrote: »

Its not the Euros.

Eh yes it is. The 4 semi finalists (of which only 16 get a chance to reach and which they get there after 6 games) gain qualification for Euro 2020.

paulbok · 04-12-2014 11:33pm

Making it tougher on the player of the top International teams, no real summer break any more.

Summer 2018 WC and the league matches in autumn,
Summer 2019 league play offs
Summer 2020 Euros and the league matches in autumn,
Summer 2021 Confederation cup and league play offs
Summer 2022 rinse and repeat.

dreamers75 · 04-12-2014 11:49pm

ShooterSF wrote: »

Eh yes it is. The 4 semi finalists (of which only 16 get a chance to reach and which they get there after 6 games) gain qualification for Euro 2020.

The best team in each of the four divisions who have not already qualified for Euro 2020 will play off in March 2020 for the final four places in the tournament, which is being played in 13 countries across Europe with the semi-finals and final at Wembley Stadium.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/30339128

The best teams will be in whatever qual groups they in, this is along side it.

So if Ger Spa Fra and Ita win the groups and qualify for this it wont mean anything other than a better class of end of season game for the players who dont normally play for Ger Spa fra and Ita.

Suppose one of them could take a chance and send the kids into the normal quals knowing the big boys will romp this thing.

rosskind · 05-12-2014 12:03am

I think each division (ie. seeds 1-4) has its own play-off spot. So at least one 4th seed will qualify for the Euros. Also means Ireland starting in division 3 rather than 2 will give us an easier shot at qualifying for the Euros should we not have already qualified through the traditional qualifiers (which I'm guessing will have the top two go straight through and no play-off for third place).

keeponhurling · 05-12-2014 12:05am

Lets just play that Carling Celtic cup thing again with N.Iron and Scotland, ask UEFA to give the winners a bye to the euros

Ferris_Bueller · 05-12-2014 1:51am

Should we not be hoping that all of the best teams qualify for the Euros? Obviously it's nice to have a mix of teams and for Irelands chances maybe it's not good news, but I'd guess there are only about 12 teams who are very likely to qualify for the Euros every year. Outside of that then everyone will fancy a shot at qualifying every couple of years at least.

Can't get my head around how this league will work but I'm presuming the likes of Gibraltar will get to play more games against the likes of Andorra and San Marino? Which can only be a good team if teams are playing teams at their own level and not getting spanked 8-0 in every game.

death1234567 · 05-12-2014 10:08am

Ferris_Bueller wrote: »

Should we not be hoping that all of the best teams qualify for the Euros?

With 24 of 52 teams qualifying for the new expanded and ruined Euro's all the best teams will qualify anyway regardless of whatever bizarre format UEFA concoct.