Euro Cup TOURNAMENT: EXPANSION

[theTROOF]

Expanded format[/size]
The format of the final tournament will consist of six groups of four teams, followed by a round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final. The top two from each group would qualify in addition to the four best third-ranked sides, the same system as was applied in the World Cups from 1986 to 1994. This format would generate a total of 51 to 52 games, compared with 31 now, to be played over a period of 29 to 31 days. UEFA's general secretary Gianni Infantino said that the new format was "not ideal" and that UEFA was not sure of the detail of the format.



I'm a little shaky about the ''four best third-ranked sides'', oh man this should make for fun tie-breakers. So I took a peak back at Euro Cup 2012 Qualifying just to see which sides missed out





In addition to these four teams, would qualify under the new rules (Ranking in UEFA - Polska #32)
- Hungary (19)
- Armenia (26)
- Norway (15)
- Israel (37)

[Rasho Brezec]

As someone from a mediocre football country, I like the expansion. It's always nice to send half of our country to be a drunken problem for someone else.

[El Turco]

just watering down the competition. we had handful of teams that looked like they didn't belong, and i don't think any of those teams listed would fare any better tbh. just find a new way to draw the groups so group A-group B situation doesn't happen again and just have one host so that at worst you got one mediocre country automatically qualifying. otherwise everything is fine the way it is.

[theTROOF]

I agree with you guys both

If you have a horse in the race then you prefer the expansion, especially when you root for a non football power
But if you are just a fan of the quality of play then the changes are discouraging

Overall I think as long as teams don't try & TIE their way into the knockout stage then the changes won't cripple the tournament & will actually reward us down the line (in 10+ years)

[Slava]

The reason I love the Euros compared to world cup is because there's never a meaningless, easy or one sided game (well ofcourse unless you were playing Ireland) and even the group stages are intense.

Watering down the competition takes away that bit of edge.

[Basti]

As a fan of Norway's soccer team I'd like the expansion idea personally but, as Slava said it, that's what's so great about EC - intense group stage games with only a very few teams in there that don't belong.

Not that I wouldn't enjoy an easy win for Germany if they faced teams such as Belgium, Hungary or Austria but when watching games of other nations it's just not the same if it's lacking the intensity.