UEFA Nations League

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Anyone else confused as this has come out of the blue.

Quote :

So, how will the Nations League affect European Qualifiers?

Euro qualifiers for 2020 will commence in March 2019, with double headers in the March, June, September, October and November.

Teams will be split into five groups of five teams and five groups of six teams.

However, the top two teams from the 10 groups will qualify automatically for the Euros.

Four more places at the finals will be awarded to play-off winners.

Sixteen teams will compete in the play-offs.

The four group winners of the Nations League in each tier will then play-off in March for a first crack at claiming one of those four vacant spots.

However, should a nation already have qualified, their place will go to the next highest-ranked team from their Nations League tier.

Those sixteen teams will go into four groups, with the top team going to the Euros.

The four teams play two one-off semi-finals and one one-off final to determine play-off winners.

Clear as mud.

MikeWN wrote:

Quote :

So, how will the Nations League affect European Qualifiers?

Euro qualifiers for 2020 will commence in March 2019, with double headers in the March, June, September, October and November.

Teams will be split into five groups of five teams and five groups of six teams.

However, the top two teams from the 10 groups will qualify automatically for the Euros.

Four more places at the finals will be awarded to play-off winners.

Sixteen teams will compete in the play-offs.

The four group winners of the Nations League in each tier will then play-off in March for a first crack at claiming one of those four vacant spots.

However, should a nation already have qualified, their place will go to the next highest-ranked team from their Nations League tier.

Those sixteen teams will go into four groups, with the top team going to the Euros.

The four teams play two one-off semi-finals and one one-off final to determine play-off winners.

Clear as mud.

So it as pointless as it is stupid.

I've since watched a EUFA YouTube video that explains how the play-offs will work that a) makes sense and b) makes the league seem like it will have some worth, as a second chance for teams that eff up their qualification groups. It's just that the Metro have managed to explain it unbelievably badly.

MikeWN wrote:

I've since watched a EUFA YouTube video that explains how the play-offs will work that a) makes sense and b) makes the league seem like it will have some worth, as a second chance for teams that eff up their qualification groups. It's just that the Metro have managed to explain it unbelievably badly.

It also in effect replaces the friendly games we would have played, with something that at least has a competitive aspect to it.