UEFA are set to rubber-stamp an expansion of the European Championship finals from 16 to 24 teams this week - a move that will limit the number of countries able to host the tournament. The decision, to be taken by UEFA's executive committee at their meeting in Bordeaux on Thursday and Friday, follows a proposal by the FAI and the Scottish FA last year. It will take effect from the 2016 finals and has drawn virtually unanimous support from the 53 member countries, but Scottish FA chief executive Gordon Smith admits it will be a double-edged sword. Scotland would not have the required facilities to stage an expanded championship. Smith told PA Sport: 'I think the expansion will be better for the game - more teams will have the chance of qualifying and the excitement of the groups will go on for longer. 'It is disappointing in that it means we will not be able to stage the tournament in the future, and we recognise that will the case. It was a trade-off between trying to stage it or open up the qualification process and we have decided to look at something that helps everybody.' Smith said the proposal had not been an attempt merely to make it easier for Scotland to qualify for a major finals. He added: 'It will make if easier but it will make it easier for other countries such as England who failed to qualify for Euro 2008. We didn't do it specifically for that purpose however.' UEFA are also expected to announce that Poland and Ukraine will be kept as Euro 2012 joint hosts but will be warned they have to keep to strict deadlines for their construction projects.
What a load of dung. Clearly a move to get more countries in the tournament and therefore more TV and commercial appeal. Where is the sense in having 24/53 qualifying for the tournament? May as well open it up and let everyone else in while they are at it. The Euros has become quite a decent and open tournament the past few times its been ran.
You might as well have an open draw where you have a two legged play off and if you win your through. That could free up plenty international breaks and leave Rafa and a few other club managers much the happier 24 teams at a tournament like this will lead to over-kill and probably result in a poorer tournament. I'm not for this at all.
How many teams are there in total that go through the qualifying stages anyway? 50 or so? 7 groups of 7/8 teams. So half of the teams get through. Quick look at the 2008 qualifiers.... Serbia, Scotland, Ireland, N. Ireland, England, Norway, Bulgaria and one of the 4th placed teams would have got through. As great as it would have been to see Ireland make it through, I really couldn't see Serbia, Scotland, Norway or Bulgaria adding much to the competition.
Totally, this will make the tournament a joke. I'm all for giving the weaker teams a chance at qualifying, but that's not what this move is about!Its totally live for the minute decision and will lead to a decline in the competition and also the competitiveness of the qualifiers too, which will mean teams will take it less seriously because the same teams that are good now will surely still be able to qualify. . Teams will be chopped and changed and more stars rested until the actual tournament stage. The European championship will be nearly treated as a World Cup Qualifier warm up tournament! The big players wont necessarily be needed until the more competitive World cup qualifiers when you need to try and win every game. It will also harm Europeans chances of winning the world cup, unless of course the world cup will be turned into a tournament with 80 teams or something.
Have to agree with everything the lads are saying above, it looks quite like a revenue earner for UEFA. Dont much like the idea of an 8 group qualifier and the top 4 go through not much of a challenge there. Added it looks like only a hand full of counries could host this tornament size at the moment if they withdraw the shared options. I'd say the FAI are not to keen at having a weaker qualifing tornamnet as that wouldnt be a very big attraction to hand out that €12k for a 10 year seat.
Depends on what spin is put on the change over/size up of the tournament. The FAI / some punters might see it as we are better placed to get into a tournaments, therefore cash in and hype it all up. They might do just better out of it as they would if we had a team that didnt qualify for any tournaments. I have a feeling this could be kept for 2 tournaments then it will revert back to normality once they see the standard has dropped and interest has also. Will be a bit like the 2 group stages they done in the Champions League few years back.
Polish FA president Michal Listkiewicz has admitted he fears his country may not be ready to co-host the Euro 2012 finals. Ukraine and Poland were selected by Uefa to jointly stage the event, but concerns have been raised over their preparations with European football's govering body meeting to discuss the issue in Bordeaux. And now Listkiewicz, who is president of the PZPN, has claimed that they lack the necessary infrastructure required for the finals and are unlikely to be able to update their transport links in time. "If the European Championships took place in 2016, we would have no problem to be ready then," he told Hamburg newspaper Die Zeit Online. Suggestion "But realistically we are looking at having no good roads in time for 2012. "If things don't go well now, and Uefa has another suggestion, then that would be in order." Austria and Switzerland were appointed co-hosts for the 2008 tournament, but Listkiewicz claims the greater distances involved between Poland and Ukraine are hampering their efforts. He added: "The biggest problem is the traffic. From Gdansk (in Poland) to Donetsk (in the Ukraine) is more than 1,500km. "This is not like in Austria and Switzerland where everything lies close together." Certain But Listkiewicz's Ukraine counterpart Grigory Surkis is confident that Uefa will not be forced into a late change of plan over the hosting arrangements. Surkis, president of Ukraine's football federation, told the Associated Press: "I am absolutely sure everything will be ready for Ukraine and Poland for the organisation of this competition. "I am certain that the report will be positive for Ukraine and for Poland."