With Euro 2012 fast approaching, attention shifts toward the latest prestigious tournament to grace International football. As it stands there is a major competition every two years but the qualifying campaigns for both the UEFA European Championships and the FIFA World Cup have become dreary and predicable.Given the World Cup allows a select number of Europe’s finest to compete alongside others from Africa, South America, Asia and Oceania, surely the most appropriate format for the Euros would be to allow every region of Europe to be represented in the same way?Currently the top ranked nations are rarely drawn together because UEFA seeds qualification to ensure the better teams are present for its summer showpiece. Occasionally two end up together, as is allowed, but they still compete against other lesser nations and usually qualify through a fairly uncompetitive group.It’s time UEFA revamped the Euros to create a regional qualifying campaign that would not only freshen up the current format but also mean every region from Great Britain to Eastern Europe is represented. Some nations may differ but in theory it would look something like this:[divider]ABCDEFGHEnglandSwedenGermanyItalyRussiaBosnia HerzegovinaTurkeySpainFranceDenmarkNetherlandsCzech RepublicUkraineRomaniaGreecePortugalRepublic of IrelandNorwayBelgiumCroatiaBelarusSerbiaBulgariaSwitzerlandNorthern IrelandFinlandPolandSlovakiaLatviaMontenegroIsraelAustriaScotlandFaroe IslandsLithuaniaSloveniaKazakhstanHungaryCyprusLiechtensteinWalesIcelandLuxembourgMaltaGeorgiaAlbaniaFYR MacedoniaAndorraEstoniaSan MarinoAzerbaijanMoldovaArmenia
da jogodeouro： [divider]
da heads bet： Already fans can see a number of potentially eye catching fixtures but there are other positives to come from this new set up. For starters, it would limit the amount of tedious fixtures like Wales v Georgia or Scotland v Kazakhstan to every four years (only during FIFA World Cup qualifying) and in the meantime allow for more appealing matches like Wales v Scotland and Georgia v Kazakhstan which would promote local interest. This trend would be echoed across Europe as matches like Spain v Portugal and Germany v Netherlands would become more regular and fans wouldn’t have to travel as far leading to cheaper journeys for supporters. Not only would spectators be more encouraged to travel but top players may be more inclined to shake off injuries and play in the more significant fixtures rather than save themselves for domestic action. Finally less travel leads to a greener Europe which is perhaps not the be all and end all but still means fans Carbon foot print is decreased by fewer long haul flights, trains, ferries etc.
So lots of positives but naturally there are concerns as well. More frequent derby style fixtures could lead to heightened security fears and an increase in hooliganism, especially if political rivalries are reignited which could overshadow the football. Further, if a new setup was implemented then these problems would return every four years but considering it’s possible for situations like this to occur regardless of design, it shouldn’t be used as a definitive reason not to refresh the format. After all Armenia and Azerbaijan were drawn together for the Euro 2004 campaign but found a suitable resolution and not every match will require a neutral stadium to avoid conflict. The risk of increased hooliganism was one of the reasons Britain’s Home Nations matches were abandoned nearly 30 years ago but authorities are now better equipped to deal with modern day violence, especially high profile International matches. One theoretical concern is while only a handful of Scotland fans might travel to Kazakhstan, many more Russia fans would cross the border for the same fixture so while it would lead to greater attendances it may also intensify of the risk of crowd trouble. Still if more fans choose to travel the shorter journey, the increase in attendances and therefore matchday income far outweighs any potential violence that can ultimately be policed.
Clearly there would be a few kinks to iron out but controversial fixtures are already a possibility with the current system. Given the need for more excitement in International football, a new format would bring about an era of competitive rivalries and national pride that would add spice to an often tedious campaign. Bearing in mind the appeal such a renovation would offer fans across Europe, it seems strange UEFA would persist with a format that repeats itself every two years. A new layout may not stop the best nations qualifying but it would excite fans, fill stadiums and draw more attention to lesser known fixtures. Anyone missing the old regime could still take pleasure in World Cup qualifiers while the rest of Europe enjoy their very own ‘Home Nations’.
Since the current format is lacklustre and repetitive, surely UEFA must revamp the qualifiers otherwise more and more fans will lose patience with International football.
Should UEFA change the qualification system for Euro 2016? Would a Home Nations format improve International football? Do you agree with the selections or would you place certain nations in different groups?
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