It only felt like yesterday when the heavens opened in Moscow as Hugo Lloris lifted the FIFA World Cup Trophy victoriously, the French being crowned ‘champion du monde’.
However, the dust has well and truly settled on that marvellous summer of football in Russia.
A new dawn awaits the UEFA national teams, and not in the form of a European Championship Qualification campaign.
The UEFA Nations League kicks off on Friday morning (AEST), in what promises to be an exciting yet somewhat intriguing competition.
How it works
The competition consists of all 55 UEFA national teams divided into four leagues: A,B,C and D.
These leagues are determined in accordance with their UEFA national team coefficient. There are 12 nations in groups A and B respectively, 15 nations in league C and 16 nations in league D.
Within each league there are four groups (Groups 1-4). In Leagues A and B, there are three nations per group (the group resembles a home and away ‘tri-nations style’ tournament).
In League C there is only one group of three nations, the other three groups have four nations (the four-nation groups resembling ‘Champions League style’ groups). League D consists of four groups of four nations each.
Confused? Unfortunately, it doesn’t end there. There are prizes to play for as well as promotion/relegation.
In League A, the teams who finish bottom of their respective groups suffer relegation to League B, whilst the four group winners in group B gain promotion to League A.
This process happens amongst all four leagues, in a similar occurrence to the top four leagues in the English football period.
The trophy. Ah yes, the trophy. Only teams in League A are eligible to win the trophy. The four group winners will face off in the ‘UEFA Nations League Finals’ which will take place in June 2019.
As there are only four teams, it will consist of semi-finals, a third-place playoff and a final. The semi-final line-up will be determined by a draw, as is done in both the Champions League and Europa League.
Apologies if I have confused you already, but finally, the UEFA Nations League also represents an alternative chance to qualify for Euro 2020.
Qualifying for Euro 2020 will largely remain the same, and 20 out of 24 spots will be clinched during Qualification.
Kylian Mbappe of France celebrates with the World Cup trophy. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)
However, a good performance in the UEFA Nations League can ensure participation in the qualifying play-offs, where 16 nations will be divided into four paths. One team from each path will qualify for Euro 2020 and thus completing the 24-team line-up.
The 16 group winners in the UEFA Nations League are assured of a spot in the qualification play-offs but if the group winner qualified during the normal qualification period, the place will fall to the next best ranked side in the UEFA Nations League group.
Complicated. Extraordinarily complicated.
If you are simply a football purist and want to watch some quality international football, there are also some mouth-watering heading into the opening matchdays:
Germany vs France
What. A. Match. Munich’s Allianz Arena hosts one of international football’s greatest rivalries.
It is Germany’s first opportunity to seek forgiveness after a shambolic World Cup campaign.
The match is also Les Bleus’ first hit out as two-time World Champions.
Last time the two met in a competitive fixture, Antoine Griezmann steered France to the Euro 2016 final in a pulsating encounter. Let’s hope this one is just as good.
France’s Antoine Griezmann runs. (Photo by Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images)
England vs Spain
A phenomenal tournament from Gareth Southgate and his men, I’m sure fans still have ‘It’s Coming Home’ ringing in their ears. They host Spain in what promises to be a Saturday night blockbuster at Wembley.
Croatia vs Portugal
A magnificent tournament from Croatia’s golden generation, shattering all expectations placed on them at the beginning of the tournament. They play a friendly against Portugal but begin their Nations League campaign away to Spain.
Croatian fans will be eager for all three points. Spain themselves will also be looking for redemption with only one win in Russia, a narrow victory against Iran.
Russia vs Turkey
Was it a flash in the pan? Were the buoyed on by home support? Or were they simply a good team unit. Stanislav Cherchesov’s side will aim to pick up where they left off with a tough away trip to Turkey. Sergei Ignashevich, one of Russia’s fines footballers has retired in the meantime but Russia will still be hoping Artem Dzyuba and Denis Cheryshev are in red hot form.
George Matthew
Roar Rookie
You make some great points. I definitely agree with number 2. That was a huge reason behind the expanded 24 team Euro (which I hated in 2016, may as well make it 32 countries to make it a worthwhile competition). Not entirely sure on number 1 though. I'm aware of FIFA and UEFA's 'one upmanship' but I was under the impression that FIFA will soon announce a quadrennial club football tournament to be held during the Confed Cup (kind of like a protracted Club World Cup?) Either way, its making UEFA money. Big quality matchups like France Germany will always get viewers and will attract sponsors so the only winner at the end of it all is UEFA.
Brian
Guest
I don't mind trying to give friendlies some meaning but really what differentiates this from the EUROS. I suspect UEFA's real aim here is:- 1. Kill the Confed Cup because its FIFA not UEFA run 2. ensure a big team can't miss the Euros and the associated TV rights money. So if England or Netherlands fail to qualify they still make the Euros because they are in tier A where everyone qualifies. The Germany v France game looked like a firnedly which pleased me as I would hate the Euros or World Cup itself devalued. Finally locally this will make it much harder for Australia to secure friendlies against UEFA countries, which is a shame in terms of potential matchups that could draw a massive crowd here - England, Italy, Greece, Croatia, Turkey etc.
Dodo
Guest
EUFA Cup? Never heard of it. Also UEFA Cup has been replaced with the Europa League many many years ago.
Stevo
Roar Rookie
Convoluted and boring concept. Is it not enough to have the WC and EUFA Cup, two meaningful tournaments spaced a couple of years apart! And not to mention qualifiers. Then we have Champions League and UEFA Cup.