Football: time to scrap the Euros?

Looking to the next Euros

The next week will see the likes of the French, the Portuguese, the Swedes, and the Romanians take to the field in two legged play-offs that will determine their World Cup destiny.  Victory will earn one of the remaining four European places available.  However, defeat will not only be too painful to contemplate, but would leave a losing nation looking towards the next European Championships Qualifying draw in Nice on 23 February 2014, and the chance to go once again in competitive international football after the summer World Cup.

Both FIFA and UEFA have come under immense scrutiny in recent times.  FIFA's decision to award the 2022 World Cup to Qatar was highly questionable, considering Qatar is a nation with a population of about two million people who have never before qualified for a World Cup.  Question marks have also been raised in Europe about the direction of the European Championships.  The 2016 tournament in France has been expanded to twenty four teams, whilst Michel Platini (UEFA's President) has suggested the 2020 tournament could be spread across twelve or thirteen cities around the continent instead of having a host nation.  Is all this necessary?

I say we should scrap the Euros altogether!

The truth is that International Football is becoming more relevant to the game's politicians than the worldwide public it is supposed to relate to.  We have farcical contests like England v San Marino, and UEFA has of course recently admitted a new minnow in the form of Gibraltar.  I am not saying such nations don't have a right to compete.  But when you consider that a top player like Theo Walcott was hospitalised in such an unnecessary game, the club v country debate is all too real.  My belief is that we need to scrap the European Championship Finals altogether.  Why not have a dual European Championships/World Cup Qualifying structure instead?  We could still have a contest between Europe's top two nations to decide on who gets the European Crown.

UEFA has fifty four member nations.  My proposal would be to create a three tier divisional structure with promotion and relegation.  All the matches would be played over the three summers when there is no World Cup.  The regular club season should have the absolute minimum disruption from the international game.  At the most, there should be two friendlies and maybe a couple of other international training camp get-togethers during the regular season.  The top teams in the top flight of the new UEFA structure should automatically qualify for the World Cup, with some mid-table teams earning a place in a play-off system along with the leading teams in the lower league tiers.

Explaining the proposed structure

1. The top two divisions would each contain twenty nations, and would be each split into two pools of ten teams.  With each team playing each other twice, that will mean eighteen rounds of fixtures which would be played over three summers.  The bottom tier would be split into two pools of seven teams each.  This structure would allow twelve European Nations to qualify for a World Cup.

2. In the top division, the top four teams in each pool would qualify automatically for the World Cup.  The teams finishing fifth and sixth in each pool would enter a two legged play-off to reach the World Cup.  The bottom team in each pool will be relegated after each qualifying period.  The top team in each pool will go into the European Championship Final, which could be played in the build up to the World Cup.

3. In the second division, the winners of each pool would earn a World Cup play-off against the teams that finish sixth in each top division pool.  Each second division pool winner would also gain promotion to the top flight.  The runners-up in each second division pool would also enter the World Cup play-off structure, but would have to play two rounds.  The first of those rounds would see each runner-up play-off against a winner of a third division pool.  Should the second division runner-up get past that first hurdle, then they would play-off against a fifth placed team from the top flight.  As in the top flight, the bottom team in each second division pool would get relegated.

4. The third division would see two pools of seven based on UEFA's current membership of fifty four nations.  The top team in each pool would achieve promotion to the second tier, and a place in a two round play-off system.  That play-off system would first involve getting past a runner-up in the second division, then a fifth placed team from the top division.

Making the Case for Change

We do at present have one summer in which FIFA insists on imposing the Confederations Cup onto the World.  This tournament could currently make my proposed structure unworkable due to at least one top European Nation being involved.  However whilst it may throw up the odd interesting game, is the Confederations Cup really something we need?  I certainly believe it is not in Europe's interest.  If the top European Nations wish to see meaningless fixtures against fifth rate no-hopers disappear, then something has got to give.

Plus, is it good for these fifth rate no-hopers to be continually taking to the field against far superior opposition knowing that at best they may get a 0-0 draw once a generation against illustrious opponents by parking the bus in front of the goal?  A contest between San Marino and the Faroe Islands for instance could also be more meaningful for the countries involved.

At the top end of the European game, clashes between heavyweight nations would become more common.  The closing stages of the three year competition for instance could see a contest between one nation trying to get into the European Final, whilst the other nation is trying to stay in an automatic qualifying spot for the World Cup.  I feel this could be very intriguing.

Ultimately, the big plus I believe would be to help ease the Club v Country tension.  You will always get supporters of course who understandably will be more passionate about their club than their country.  But with a new structure defining the main international season to be after the club season, more and more younger fans over time will grow up to appreciate that supporting your country does not have to be at the detriment of supporting your club.  We certainly cannot say that at present!