UEFA Nations League

[ZacNaloen]

To replace international friendlies after 2014 world cup,

We'll have a nations league.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_Nations_League

I really like the sound of this.

[TBM]

To replace international friendlies after 2014 world cup,

Cool - when is this 2014 world cup?

[ZacNaloen]

2018 whatevs

[Green]

How will the logistics work?

Either it's a rebranding of the already ludicrous points system, or it's gonna force us to play joke nations more often than we'd otherwise like.

[ZacNaloen]

It'll be a league system, best teams go in a league together and you go down the pyramid.

So we'll only play joke teams if we are also a joke.

[sputnik]

The Nations League will be comprised of four Divisions (A-D). Each of these is then sub-divided into four groups of either three or four teams (numbered 1-4).
UEFA's 54 nations will be split between the four divisions, according to their position in the rankings as they stand in November 2017.
Division A will include the top-ranked European nations, like Germany, Spain, England, France and Italy. Division D will contain the minnows like your San Marinos, Luxembourgs and Gibraltars.
Divisions A and B will consist of four groups of three teams. Division C will comprise two groups of three teams and two groups of four teams. Division D will feature four groups of four teams.
The nations in each group then play each other home and away across the double-header international weeks in September, October and November 2018.



The teams that finish top of the four groups within Division A - the top one - then progress to a Final Four competition to be staged in June 2019.
They will play in a knockout format with semi-finals and then a final at neutral venues to determine the UEFA Nations League champions.
There is also promotion and relegation between each of the Divisions with four teams moving in each direction for the next running of the competition.

[Stranded]

I like it, gives smaller nations matches at a level where they can compete and look to progress whilst giving England another tournament not to win.

[Kitsondinho]

Sadly, this is the kind of bloody pointless thing we will win and then flop at the next major championship.

[Will95]

So lots of friendlies against a select few big teams, and a much more reduced chance of playing non-European teams in friendlies, this is shit.

[Stranded]

Will that's why the top groups only have 3 teams, means there are still open windows to play non European nations, all this is doing is replacing friendliest between say Spain & Germany that was played recently with a "competitive" game. Not sure how that is worse than the current set up.

[Will95]

Will that's why the top groups only have 3 teams, means there are still open windows to play non European nations, all this is doing is replacing friendliest between say Spain & Germany that was played recently with a "competitive" game. Not sure how that is worse than the current set up.

You're right, that seems about right, I hadn't looked in much detail and just stuck to my previous opinion! So it seems *if* we get into the top division it's 6 competitive friendlies against France, Germany, Spain etc. + 2 normal friendlies against other sides? Then two more if we don't make the finals/semis? Doesn't seen too bad now I've actually looked into it!

[TBM]

Also

UEFA claim the new system will make the European Championship qualifying more streamlined.

The qualifying tournament will take place as usual but will take less time, being held between March and November 2019.

The winners and runners-up from the 10 qualifying groups advance automatically to the finals as is the case now.

The remaining four places at the finals will come from Nations League play-offs. Within each of the four divisions, the four group winners will advance into the play-offs, to be played in March 2020.

They will then play semi-finals and a final to determine which four nations reach the tournament.

If the group winners have already booked their place at Euro 2020, their place will be allocated to the next best ranked team in their particular division.

So this is a fall-back for nations who haven't reached Euro 2020 via the usual qualifying route.

[Stranded]

Well, it just replaces the current play-offs and gives the games an additional edge. Also gives one of the smaller nations, i.e. the 16 weakest teams in UEFA a chance to take 1 spot in the finals, a chance they would not have otherwise. Means in 2020 we could see someone like the Faroes or Leichtenstein getting knocked out in the group stage.