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Tag: UEFA

  • Value Tracker: Morata, Amavi, UEFA


    ↑ Alvaro Morata (Chelsea and Spain) Two goals in 3-1 win over Crystal Palace in the English Premier League
    ↓ Jordan Amavi (Marseille & France) Error in 3-0 away loss to Montpellier in France’s Ligue 1
    ↓ UEFA Football Leaks report on how the football body looks away at the Financial Fair Play issues affecting teams like PSG and Manchester City, allowing the teams to use overvalued sponsorship numbers to get away without severe sanctions

  • UEFA Nations League Draw

    The draw for the UEFA Nations League was today on January 24th, 2018. As expected League A with top ranked European teams features some hard match ups. In particular Group A Germany, France and Holland should be a good one despite the fact that the latter team has not done well recently and failed to qualify for World Cup 2018 in Russia. Russsia, Sweden and Turkey in League B’s Group 2 should mean interesting competition as well.

    Early favorites for the four winners are likely Germany, Portugal, Spain and Belgium in League A. Slovakia, Sweden, Bosnia and Ireland in B. Scotland, Greece, Bulgaria and Serbia in C. Georgia, Belarus, Azerbaijan and Macedonia in D.

    It should be fascinating to see which countries get relegated from each League. Perhaps Iceland, Poland and Switzerland are early candidates to fall off League A. Wales, Austria, Turkey and Slovakia from League B and Lithuania and Cyprus at risk in League C.

    The league starts in September 2018.

    The UEFA Nations League full draw:

    [one_fourth]League A

    Group 1

    Germany
    France
    Netherlands
     

    Group 2

    Belgium
    Switzerland
    Iceland
     

    Group 3

    Portugal
    Italy
    Poland
     
     

    Group 4

    Spain
    England
    Croatia
    [/one_fourth]

    [one_fourth]League B

    Group 1

    Slovakia
    Ukraine
    Czech Republic
     

    Group 2

    Russia
    Sweden
    Turkey
     

    Group 3

    Austria
    Bosnia and Herzegovina
    Northern Ireland

    Group 4

    Wales
    Republic of Ireland
    Denmark[/one_fourth]

    [one_fourth]League C

    Group 1

    Scotland
    Albania
    Israel
     

    Group 2

    Hungary
    Greece
    Finland
    Estonia

    Group 3

    Slovenia
    Norway
    Bulgaria
    Cyprus
     

    Group 4

    Romania
    Serbia
    Montenegro
    Lithuania
     
     

    [/one_fourth]

    [one_fourth_last]League D

    Group 1

    Georgia
    Latvia
    Kazakhstan
    Andorra

    Group 2

    Belarus
    Luxembourg
    Moldova
    San Marino

    Group 3

    Azerbaijan
    Faroe Islands
    Malta
    Kosovo
     

    Group 4

    FYR Macedonia
    Armenia
    Liechtenstein
    Gibraltar [/one_fourth_last]

  • The Unruly UEFA Nations League

    The now ousted UEFA president Michel Platini brought many ideas to the table, as a former star player his contribution on the pitch was significant and so it has been off the pitch as an administrator. Under his reign the European Championship was spread around to venues around Europe for the 2020 edition, also in an effort to give more importance to so called national team friendly dates he presented the idea of the Nations League, so friendly matches are actually a contest for a new title. Unfortunately as with his other ideas this is a complicated one that has fans scrambling to understand formats and figure out implications for their team and the European Championship tournament.

    Back in 2014 the Nations League idea was presented and divided the (now) 55 UEFA members into four leagues. A for the best to D for the worst ranked teams.

    Germany, Portugal, Belgium, Spain, France, England, Switzerland, Italy, Poland, Iceland, Croatia, Netherlands are in league A.

    Austria, Wales, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Ukraine, Republic of Ireland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Czech Republic, Turkey in B.

    Hungary, Romania, Scotland, Slovenia, Greece, Serbia, Albania, Norway, Montenegro, Israel, Bulgaria, Finland, Cyprus, Estonia, Lithuania in C.

    Azerbaijan, FYR Macedonia, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, Latvia, Faroe Islands, Luxembourg, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Liechtenstein, Malta, Andorra, Kosovo, San Marino, Gibraltar in D.

    Teams in league A will be split into four groups of three playing in a home and away format, with the draw on January 24th 2018, the four group winners will then play for the UEFA Nations League title in 2019.

    Teams in league B will be in four groups of three as well. The four group winners get promoted to League A and the four sides that finish last relegated to League C.

    Teams in league C will be in one group of three and three groups of four. The four group winners get promoted to League B and the four sides that finish last relegated to League D.

    Teams in league D will be in four groups of four. The four group winners get promoted to League C.

    One team form each group will be able – through a special playoffs in March 2020 – to qualify for the European Championships in that same year. This provides an extra incentive for both strong and weak teams to take these formerly friendly dates more seriously by giving them a route Euros via the Nations League, in addition to the normal Euros qualification process.

    Platini’s legacy is still felt even after becoming a victim in the FIFA scandal.