Can Anyone Make...

[steviex]

head nor tale of that UEFA Nations league bollox. I gave up halfway through the explanation of how it works

[texaco cup]

Stevie it was based on one of McGhee's teamtalks,in other words no one else will understand the theory behind but the person delivering it.Therefore they are immune from blame when it doesn't go to plan!

[Handsome_Devil]

The Nations League is incredibly simple.

Four divisions of four parallel groups (similar to what happens in virtually any pyramid system below a certain level, in England you have the National League north and south, there are about a dozen by the time you hit the German fifth-tier etc) and if you finish first you get promoted or play for the championship if you're already at the top level, if you're bottom you get relegated unless you can't sink any further.

That's it.

[steviex]

The Nations League is incredibly simple.

Four divisions of four parallel groups (similar to what happens in virtually any pyramid system below a certain level, in England you have the National League north and south, there are about a dozen by the time you hit the German fifth-tier etc) and if you finish first you get promoted or play for the championship if you're already at the top level, if you're bottom you get relegated unless you can't sink any further.

That's it.

you do condescending very well.....but what is the point of it from what i read its to stop meaningless friendlies but surely this creates far more games than friendlies were ever played

[Handsome_Devil]

you do condescending very well.....but what is the point of it from what i read its to stop meaningless friendlies but surely this creates far more games than friendlies were ever played

Apologies if that's how it came across, it was not my intention.

More games, possibly...certainly for Scotland and Wales who skip many friendlies. Not for Estonia, who play every single chance they get and then some.

UEFA will argue various things, including being in a competition makes the matches more worthwhile, it's a fairer way of doing seeding for future Euro championship draws, it gives the minnows more games against each other where they can develop in a better way than a series of 4,5,6,7-0 scuddings, it gives the countries below the elite another chance to do a Denmark/Greece etc.

Conveniently it also fills the one free summer left in the cycle with a mini-tournament for television (certainly until the Confed Cup gets binned), though clearly they don't push that as much in the good for the game drive.

I think everyone who cared about international football - and I know there's plenty who don't - agreed that something needed to be done in light of the growing dominance of Champions League and the frequent god-awfulness of friendlies. This is, undeniably, something. Whether it's the right something or not, I have no idea...I certainly don't think they did themselves any favours by merging Euro 2020 play-off qualification into it.

[sieb1886]

Let's be honest ... does anyone really give a flying fork?!