UEFA International League of Nations

[HibeeJibee]

It doesn't mean any more messing about with anything.

There are currently 8 international dates per season (arranged in doubleheaders - each preceded by a rest midweek), plus a June doubleheader in odd-numbered years, and will continue to be.

During the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons our 18 dates will comprise:

September-October-November 2018

* 6 Nations League games (or 4 + 2 opportunities for friendlies if drawn in a 3-team section)

March-June-September-October-November 2019

* 10 Euro 2020 qualifiers

[also in June 2019 - Nations League Finals Tournament]

March 2020

* 2 playoffs (or 2 opportunities for friendlies if already qualified for Euro 2020 / not finished in a playoff place)

It will largely end our "sitting out dates" habit, tbf.

In terms of burden put on footballers, only 4 countries will be in a position to play more matches than they can currently play... the 4 countries contesting the aforementioned UEFA Nations League Finals Tournament in June 2019. However, there is a trophy at stake.

[craigkillie]

Worth noting that UEFA have confirmed that the Nations League positions will be used instead of UEFA coefficients to seed European Championship qualifying from 2020 onwards (and presumably the finals too?). That means there's going to be absolutely no danger of teams deliberately dropping down divisions to make qualification easier, as some had suggested.

They still haven't really explained the mechanism for the Euro 2020 play-off places "cascading down" to a lower division. If there are 3 teams in the Division A play-off, then surely putting the highest placed team from Division B into that play-off would actually be detrimental to that team. Presumably they'll have something lined up for that.

[SpoonTon]

Why do the play-off sections not include one team from each division rather than having all four from one division. Wouldn't that have been fairer overall and properly put to rest questions of a benefit to being in the bottom division?

[HibeeJibee]

Why do the play-off sections not include one team from each division rather than having all four from one division. Wouldn't that have been fairer overall and properly put to rest questions of a benefit to being in the bottom division?

It would, but my guess is UEFA are trying to make all their members feel happy by one of the 'minnows' and one of the 'lesser lights' being guaranteed a place. Who's to say if this UNL format will last the first edition without adjustments, anyway. Remember that Euro 2020 will not feel like a normal finals, given there is no host: I suspect it will feel a lot like extended qualifying at least until the knockout stages.

But it should be the best 23/24 qualifiers, not the best 21/22 + some consolation smallfry, IMO.

[HibeeJibee]

Over on BertKassies, someone has also posted an interesting possibility... I don't know the chances of it actually happening (Craigkillie?) - presumably it could in part depend on the rules about playoff slots moving between UNL groups and divisions... but it would be an odd scenario.

Another down point is that you can get a very strange situation in the final matchday(s) of the Euro qualifying.

Let say for example:
-country A can't get a spot in the top 2, and is the "first reserve" for a play-off spot
-country B can still get a spot in the top 2, and has already qualified for the play-offs.

Then if they play each other country A better lose their match, so they have a better chance to get into the play-offs.

[LAGer]

Here's my take on how this will work.

Laid out fantastically, Craig. Pretty sure I'm with it now although I won't be attempting to explain it to anyone. I'll use your link for that.