UEFA League of Nations in 2018-2019

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/england/10722834/England-ready-to-play-in-new-Nations-League-as-revolutionary-Uefa-plan-earns-unanimous-backing.html

England will take part in a new Nations League from the 2018-19 season after all 54 of Uefa’s members agreed to back the revolutionary competition at its annual Congress this week.

Telegraph Sport has learned that a resolution giving European football’s governing body permission to devise a third major international tournament is expected to be waved through in Kazakhstan this week, paving the way for the biggest shake-up in the football calendar in years.

The precise format of the competition has yet to be confirmed but it is understood that there is almost unanimous support for a biennial event which would replace friendly games and run in parallel with the World Cup and European Championship from 2018.

As it stands, Uefa wants to divide the event into three or four divisions, with promotion and relegation between them.

England would qualify for a 16-team top flight, which would be split into four groups of four, with home and away fixtures taking place alongside qualifying matches for the World Cup and European Championship. Germany, Spain, Italy, France, Holland and Portugal are all likely to join England in the top division.

The winners of each of the four groups would then advance to a ‘Final Four’ tournament at a neutral venue, with two semi-finals and a final taking place over several days during the summer of odd-numbered years.

As well as the carrot of promotion, winners of the lower divisions could be rewarded with wild-card places at future European Championships.

The concept of a Nations League was first proposed by Uefa last year as Michel Platini, the European governing body’s president, sought to restore the prestige of international football.

The success of the Champions League, in particular, sparked concern that what was traditionally considered the highest level of the game had been overtaken by elite club competition.

Uefa’s expansion of the European Championship finals from 16 to 24 teams was also criticised for diluting the quality of its flagship international tournament.

The draw last month for the 2016 European Championship threw up a particularly unattractive set of fixtures for England, who can finish third in Group E and still qualify for the finals.

Greg Dyke, the Football Association chairman, reacted enthusiastically this month to the possibility of playing the likes of Germany, Spain and Italy on a regular basis.
He said: “In principle, we’d be quite interested. The hard thing about that is the detail but I think a Nations League where we played the top nations would be very attractive.”

The FA faces a huge challenge to drum up interest in England’s Group E fixtures and will endeavour to secure a series of glamorous friendlies in the coming years to entice fans to Wembley, on which it still owes £277  million.

Promotion and Relegation

Platini saving football

Booooooring. Glorified friendlies.

Who cares about club football tbh... NT football was always the greatest competitions for me and it was the unquestioned holy grail of footy until the late 90s. It's only been in the last 15 years where club football has caught up and maybe overtaken NT footy.

This rebalances things, which is great.

NT football is by far the purest. Why? You can't manufacture teams by putting all the best players in just a few teams. Even the most powerful NTs will always have flaws. You really get to see which players are truly great and which managers are the best...

I see it now tbh.

ENGLAND HAVE RIGHTED THE WRONGS OF THE PAST, ENGLAND HAVE BEEN PROMOTED TO THE ELITE TIER OF THE LEAGUE OF NATIONSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.

What is , a league of National Teams?

lol it s too much the WC and European , let alone another cup

I like it, but this just means moooore football. Arent players exhausted as is?

England has found a way to win a trophy?
  

Not more football.  They're eliminating friendlies.  These games would just take over all the current mandated international friendlies dates during the season.  Every summer, you have a "final 4" that would have the top 4 NTs in pool during the season compete... that would involve 2 games max.

No added matches.  However, every NT game now counts.

Great Leader Sprucenuce wrote:I see it now tbh.

ENGLAND HAVE RIGHTED THE WRONGS OF THE PAST, ENGLAND HAVE BEEN PROMOTED TO THE ELITE TIER OF THE LEAGUE OF NATIONSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.

The song
Euro 96 with Gascoigne and Shearer

sportsczy wrote:Who cares about club football tbh...  NT football was always the greatest competitions for me and it was the unquestioned holy grail of footy until the late 90s.  It's only been in the last 15 years where club football has caught up and maybe overtaken NT footy.

This rebalances things, which is great.

NT football is by far the purest.  Why?  You can't manufacture teams by putting all the best players in just a few teams.  Even the most powerful NTs will always have flaws.  You really get to see which players are truly great and which managers are the best...

sport

im all up for it, wonder if they will do one for every continent.

sportsczy wrote:Not more football.  They're eliminating friendlies.  These games would just take over all the current mandated international friendlies dates during the season.  Every summer, you have a "final 4" that would have the top 4 NTs in pool during the season compete...  that would involve 2 games max.

No added matches.  However, every NT game now counts.

I like this

On paper it's interesting
but it is unattainable .
There are too many matches during the year, you can't add other real matches ( and not friendly matches)
if this cup arises it doesn't go on more than an edition

Great Leader Sprucenuce wrote:I see it now tbh.

ENGLAND HAVE RIGHTED THE WRONGS OF THE PAST, ENGLAND HAVE BEEN PROMOTED TO THE ELITE TIER OF THE LEAGUE OF NATIONSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.

THIRTY YEARS OF HURT, NEVER STOPPED ME DREAMING   

Robespierre wrote:England has found a way to win a trophy?
  

and nobody noticed this great comment?!?!

   

Devi:"I dream that our Macedonian candidacy for the EU will be fulfilled so that Goran Pandev can lead us to the League of Nations Summit".

Arq's feel when Pandev relegates Italy to the 2nd tier

sportsczy wrote:Not more football.  They're eliminating friendlies.  These games would just take over all the current mandated international friendlies dates during the season.  Every summer, you have a "final 4" that would have the top 4 NTs in pool during the season compete...  that would involve 2 games max.

No added matches.  However, every NT game now counts.

National team football is not even a self-sustainable thing. No club football means no National team football. The opposite is not true.

For me also Club football >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> NT football.

NT friendlies were a complete waste of time. If you're not adding games, eliminating friendlies AND adding meaningful NT competition.... what the f else do you want in life ffs

that's because you don't want your region to be a part of Spain and you consider Barca as your NT free_cat. Most aren't like you.

The emotion and passion of NT competitions and the purity of the game are second to none.

free_cat wrote:

sportsczy wrote:Not more football.  They're eliminating friendlies.  These games would just take over all the current mandated international friendlies dates during the season.  Every summer, you have a "final 4" that would have the top 4 NTs in pool during the season compete...  that would involve 2 games max.

No added matches.  However, every NT game now counts.

National team football is not even a self-sustainable thing. No club football means no National team football. The opposite is not true.

For me also Club football >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> NT football.

im pretty sure that NT football and the WC is the backbone of FIFA

Also, every NT can rise to the top because it's about nationality... a NT can't buy the best players. It's not like club football where it's always the same teams because they have the most money and can buy the best players. You can have a golden generation of Belgium players for example that can compete for a NT crown whereas no club in Belgium can ever compete for CL.

So much purer.

Dat purity.

i like when my posts from half a year ago are relevant

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idiotic idea... the timespan of 6 teams having to play each other on top of playing international qualifications and intercontinental friendlies would be at least two years, probably more, so why even bother when you have the euro where everyone and their mother already participate... secondly, nobody would watch the matches beyond the first group, maaaaybe first two at a stretch... spain, germany, italy, france, netherlands, england; portugal, and... switzerland? belgium? sounds incredibly exciting... not to mention the inevitable group 4 or 5 which would probably consist of latvia, albania, slovakia and finland playing each other... just shoot me now