Looks like our chances of qualifying for a finals tournament have received a major boost (albeit for a tournament in eight years time) with UEFA set to announce an increase to 24 teams in the European Championships. Good news for us but after a great tournament this year you'd have to wonder if more teams of less quality qualify will it dilute the tournamet too much. Link
I would say this ends any dream us and Scotland had of ever hosting the Euros as I am sure you will now need more grounds.
Increasing the number of teams in the finals has its ups and downs. More teams will qualify which increases our own chances. However more bad teams will qualify which will result in negative play tactics i.e. Greece keeping the ball amongst the back 4 for large fractions of the game. Not nice to watch. I'll stay neutral on this one.
excellent points guy, with the tournament the way it is, it is so competitive. Weaker teams would cheapen the tournament. It really is like the world cup minus Brazil and Argentina.
How competitive were Austria, Poland, France, Switzerland, and Greece in this tournament?? How competitive were Russia in the second half last Thursday?? Every tournament brings weak teams and matches, whether it's the World Cup or the Feyenoord Port tournament. Delighted with the expansion to 24 teams, as it should be happening now. It should also allow 3rd place group teams the chance to qualify for the knockout rounds. More games, more teams, more goals, more excitement, bring it on.
I think its great in its current format. I think its another money grabbing exercise by the authorities. Of course if Ireland qualify I wont be complaining
To do this they would need 32 teams, then round 2, quarters, semis and final. I dont know how 24 teams would work exactly to get the number right, 6 group winners and 2 best placed runners up?
Yes, this would seem the most likely format which will only make things messy come the final round of games. One way they could do it is have 8 groups containing 3 teams. Another way they could do it is to set it up in the same format as Italia 90 and USA 94 with all the top two teams and four of the third place teams qualifying for the last 16. But thats really just stretching it out a bit too much I'm thinking.
I think the only hope we would have of hosting it now is if UEFA pull the plug on Poland/Ukraine hosting the tournament in four years time which at this stage is by no means beyond the realms of possibility. Scotland have already expressed an interest in hosting the tournament if it all goes tits up for Poland and Ukraine, however after the shambles of a bid we put up the last time I think they'd be very reluctant to go ahead with a joint bid with us again and would most likely approach Wales if such a scenario came about.
And these teams were involved in the worse of the tournament's matches hence why with more weak teams you'll get more of that (albeit France obviously coming to the end of a cycle and may have the players to reinvent themselves under the right manager) Considering they managed to make a cock up of the very straight foward current format with a semi repeat of a group match (with the same score difference) and a very unopen draw God knows what they'll do. Compare Germany's route knowing they couldn't play Spain, Italy, Holland, Russia, France till the final to Russia having to play the eventual champions twice. Having to play the same team twice conveys more than a hint of unfairness. Tends to favour dominant nations ala GAA style qualifiers when a David may have to slay Goliath not once but twice.
No problem with logistics. Revert to the format for the 24-team WC. 6 groups of 4, winners, runners-up, and 4 best 3rd-place teams through to knockout rounds. 2nd round onwards is knockout. Simple really. First of all, you have people demanding the 6th seeds in qualifying should go into a pre-group. Now they want only the top 16 in the finals. What next? Go back to the pre-1980 method, where only the semis and final constitute a tournament?? This is not the CL. This is the European Championships. No byes, no elitism, and everyone is invited, the way it should be. 16 teams of 53 sounds elitist imo, 24 is right. The quality won't suffer. Most teams will be very competitive.
Good point. They'd either have to space out the tournament over a longer period or host the tournament between a few neighbouring countries (that's if you leave out the Germanys, Spains etc). Wouldn't be good if Ireland were planning another bid to host it though.
the expansion would mean the tourno going to italy france spain germany england cause they have the best and most stadia to hold big compititions. but if it was expanded why not ireland would have a good chance of qaulifying