.png)
By 
10:25
League to replace international friendlies?
UEFA is considering a radical overhaul of international football that would see national teams playing a new Nations League competition.
The idea, mooted at executive committee meetings that preceded a UEFA meeting in Dubrovnik last month, would see European football’s governing body using existing dates for friendlies in the international calendar to launch a new league involving all 54 member nations.
Under the plans, all UEFA members would be divided into a series of perhaps nine divisions based on their recent results, with promotion and relegation following each round of matches.
The winner of the first division would be UEFA’S Nations League champion and win a cash prize, with the bottom team in each division being relegated in favour of the winner of the division below.
The Norwegian FA president, Yngve Hallen, who sits on UEFA’s national committee for international tournaments, said: “It is true that a series of games is one of the models being discussed.”
If the UEFA Nations League idea is developed, then the European governing body would be likely to look to centralise the TV and marketing rights in the same way as it has for the Champions League.
“The success of the Champions League has already inspired the Europa League. This is also something they are trying to look at in connection with the Nations League – how this can sharpen the market. That’s what this is largely about,” said Hallen.
“But there have been very clear political guidelines from all 54 federations that the focus needs to be on the football/competitive aspect. All countries should have equal opportunities,” he added.
“No-one should have to qualify for this tournament – everyone plays from the first game. And then there is also a recognition that tournament form should be easy to understand for most people. All this we need to work out.”
The Swedish FA representative Karl-Erik Nilsson told Aftonbladet that “it has been established that it is difficult to get interest around friendlies”.
“For 2020 it has been looked at whether it would be possible to combine traditional qualifiers with with this league format, instead of friendlies, to increase interest,” he said.
“It is worth looking at but we were clear that it can’t have an impact on the qualifiers for the Euro tournaments. The qualifiers are No1 and have the highest priority. There won’t be more international games because of this.”
He said the initial reaction among the 54 members was that “creating more interest is not something negative”.
Nilsson added: “All 54 members were in Croatia and the idea was presented from a perspective of: is this worth looking at? And the overall feeling was: ‘let’s look at it but don’t let it have an impact on the qualifiers’.”
With interest in friendly internationals at an all time low, the idea has some appeal. One wonders though, whether the likes of England or Spain would be prepared to write off the income they would lose from lucrative friendlies against the likes of Brazil and Argentina. If UEFA could guarantee them financial compensation, one would imagine they would.
Clubs happy with Champions League
The European Club Association (ECA) has insisted it is happy with the UEFA Champions League format after Galatasaray chairman Unal Aysal called for it ti be replaced by a European Super League.
Aysal was talking at the Leaders in Football Conference in London, and stated that the time had come for a new league for Europe.
“I think it is the future of football,” he said. “It has to be created, not after 10 years, but as soon as possible.
“Football is a big industry, a growing industry, and a European super league will bring a lot of support and also energise football in general.
“I think it could be 20 big teams, for example, in Europe, with the last three, four or five teams can change every year.
“I think it can be operated in a proper way in order to make it effective and useful to European football and also to bring new horizons in football.”
Aysal insisted that a Super League would not necessarily mean a breakaway from UEFA, but admitted that this would be a price worth paying to get the new league up and running.
“The system has to be put in place, either by UEFA or by the clubs themselves. Then we will decide if a breakaway will be necessity or not,” he continued.
“It’s not yet totally elaborated and prepared and put on the paper. But it is a concept that is under discussion for a few years. It is not a new concept, but we favour it.
“The first 15-20 big clubs of Europe all agree with this – nobody will say no. Manchester United, Paris St Germain, Real Madrid.
“There may be one or two exceptions for local reasons, political reasons, and I will understand, but as the future for European clubs and the future of football, nobody can say no to this.
“Every reality starts with a dream. At the moment, it looks like a dream, a vision. I am sure, sooner or later, in a maximum of five years’ time, it will be a reality.
“Other clubs’ bosses, presidents and chairman are looking at this opportunity and talking to each other I think we will come together and look into each other’s eyes and follow it.”
However, the European Club Association issued a quick rebuttal to Aysal’s comments, insisting they are more than happy with the current Champions League set-up.
A statement read: “The European Club Association (ECA) has taken note of comments made today regarding the alleged creation of a European Super League in 2018.
“ECA underlines that such an idea was never discussed within the association and never figured on any meeting agenda. ECA is very happy with the current European club competitions.”
Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, the head of ECA, said: “Our European Super League is the UEFA Champions League!
“We are very happy with the current competitions and our extremely fruitful collaboration with UEFA.
“We will continue to work together with UEFA, and this beyond 2018.”
Real Madrid fines fined for Nazi symbols
A Spanish government commission has imposed fines of 3,000 euros each on four Real Madrid fans who displayed Nazi symbols at last month’s La Liga match against city rivals Atletico at Real’s Bernabeu stadium.
The four were members of the far right “Ultras Sur” group and the symbols displayed including a swastika and the German word “Totenkopf”, a reference to the Nazis’ SS paramilitary organisation, according to an official who asked not to be identified by name.
Real, who lost the match 1-0, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The four, who were not named, were also banned from sporting venues for six months.
The punishments were imposed by Spain’s commission against violence, racism, xenophobia and intolerance in sport.
0 comments