Far bigger problem with 5 team (or any odd number) groups is they finish at different times. That's a huge nono.
The 24 teams Euros is a terrible system
- Thread starter Kasper
- Start date
Euro 2008 was a better tournament than 2016 and 2021, them having a last 16 didn't make it a better tournament.
Yeah 5 team groups in the Rugby World Cup, as well as teams not playing more than once a week led to an incredibly bloated group stage that went on for about 6 weeks. Bad enough that they're changing the format away from that.
They were planning 3 team groups for the next World Cup (with all the second place teams going through). Apparently only changed their mind based on how exciting the last round of games were in Qatar.
Agreed, UEFA, FIFA etc are just after more money, more games = more money, simple as that.
They might as well not bother will qualifiers and just do the whole thing in two months so every team gets to have a bit of the festival
Then 64. They’ll have to invent 9 more European countries but I wouldn’t put it past Uefa.
We disagree then. Portugal conceded from their own shot against them playing 90 minutes against a very defensive and low block Czezh team and scored twice. They demolished Turkey and go into the last game having won the group, playing their 2nd team + Ronaldo, which is to their detriment as the players will only focus on trying to get Ronaldo on the scoresheet.
Spain and Austria are the clear teams of the tournament but it's not like it's been easy for Austria. Every game of theirs could have gone the other way.
Croatia just looked disjointed. Always felt like there was a goal in it for their opposition. Don't care about xG really. Fluffing a penalty and then scoring is the perfect way to inflate that stat.
I loved the 16 team format and didn't want it expanded. It now has to go to 32 to get a decent group format back.
That will then make qualification a bit pointless
Until they abolish qualifying, have a full time Nations League instead, and introduce a 2nd Euros at the same time calling it the Europa Conference Euros ensuring everyone plays some sort of summer tournament, then Uefa have finally worked out a way to maximise profit.
That will then make qualification a bit pointless
Until they abolish qualifying, have a full time Nations League instead, and introduce a 2nd Euros at the same time calling it the Europa Conference Euros ensuring everyone plays some sort of summer tournament, then Uefa have finally worked out a way to maximise profit.
Vatican City, Monaco, Guernsey, Jersey, Isle of Man and Greenland gives you six.
Split up Bosnia and Herzegovina for a seventh, invent a "South Macedonia" for an eighth, then invite Australia along for the craic.
It's definitely quantity over quality in football these days, a lot of the games in this tournament has made it a forgettable euros, I hope it comes alive at some in the knockout stage but with average side going
Then make it 32 teams. Sweden, Bosnia, Norway, wales, Ireland, Iceland, Finland and we’re almost there
I’m just being facetious Alex. Just hate this rule of 3rd placed teams qualifying. Abomination.
Then make it 32 teams. Sweden, Bosnia, Norway, wales, Ireland, Iceland, Finland and we’re almost there
I’m just being facetious Alex. Just hate this rule of 3rd placed teams qualifying. Abomination.
Yeah it's shit.
I'd prefer it reverted to the 16 team format.
Failing that, revert at least back to only 8 teams progressing to the knockouts (6 group winners, 2 best runners up).
Failing that, a 32 team tournament. Although at that point the qualifiers almost become a bit redundant.
Yep, the qualifiers become glorified friendlies, of sorts, albeit with 32 teams the likes of San Marino, Azerbaijan etc might eventually qualify! But yeah, should’ve remained at 16 teams or 32 if they were dead set on expanding it and having a round 16. Just no third place teams to qualify.
I agree wholeheartedly. 16 teams was great for the Euros. You got some really high stakes group games between good teams, and it wasn't that uncommon for a big nation to get eliminated in the groups. Even qualifying had a bit more going on with big nations missing out on rare occasions.
A possible alternative could be 20 teams, four groups of five, two teams advance from each group. That would allow for a few extra teams and still keep the competition symmetrical. But I imagine there might be too many dead rubber games in the last round of group games.
A possible alternative could be 20 teams, four groups of five, two teams advance from each group. That would allow for a few extra teams and still keep the competition symmetrical. But I imagine there might be too many dead rubber games in the last round of group games.
It's absolutely shite, diluting the quality. It's just ridiculous that teams are getting through with so few points, standard is so poor this euros.
There are definite problems with the expansion but on the other hand you're witnessing Georgia's best results in their history, same for Iceland in years gone by, it's worth ironing it out to find a compromise imo
Well for me regardless of todays result, Georgia have been spectacular, said it from their first game. England France and others have been very poor so far.
It's probably good there's more teams, more ideas and new approaches. The way big western Europe teams are playing it's not good for the tournament.
I disagree with people. Probably the weakest qualifier this time was georgia, who have proven themselves more than worthy, as did albania.
This system means no match is a dead rubber as is often the case with final group games. I think it adds to the competition. any more than 24 is ridiculous.
The biggest argument for it is the current third placers as it stands: Netherlands, Georgia, Slovenia, and Slovakia. All completely worthy of another shot at it, as opposed to say underperforming much larger nations, where the latter 3 are concerned.
This system means no match is a dead rubber as is often the case with final group games. I think it adds to the competition. any more than 24 is ridiculous.
The biggest argument for it is the current third placers as it stands: Netherlands, Georgia, Slovenia, and Slovakia. All completely worthy of another shot at it, as opposed to say underperforming much larger nations, where the latter 3 are concerned.
I’ve loved it. More teams, more games, and great to see some of the so-called lesser sides playing great football.
Here here
It's crap yes.
Georgia needed to win and Portugal knew they were group winners. It's an excellent result for Georgia, but they couldn't have wished for better circumstances to play Portugal.
As for no dead rubbers, England were confirmed to have progressed the night before their last game, and Slovenia knew a draw would be enough for them to qualify. Slovakia and Romania were similarly aware that a draw was enough for both to progress.
What is a dead rubber if not a match where a draw perfectly suits both teams? There was also Poland knowing they were out and France knowing they were through.
how can anyone watch the georgia match tonight and argue against it. every single 3rd place qualifier has been worth it. and it meant every last group stage game meant something.
50 teams, almost half of them qualify for the thing and 16/24 get through to the knockout rounds.
From the nations league play off nonsense to this 3rd place ranking table. It's all a load of shite.
From the nations league play off nonsense to this 3rd place ranking table. It's all a load of shite.
none of what youre saying is rectified by a 16 team tournament. Georgia could still have qualifed by beating a qualifed portugal in a 16 team - it is absolutely impossible to avoid these scenarios and they happen in every single tournament.
As for teams knowing a draw puts them through, this has also famously happens before.
Id buy this argument if there were teams getting hammered, but its the most competitive euros in a while.
Pretty much zero of the complaints about this system are bettered by a 16 team system as outlined above. The only fair argument is if very poor teams are making the euros, but they arent.
Agreed.
Good to see small teams on the big stage.
England could easily have finished 3rd or worse….
England could easily have finished 3rd or worse….
Anything but a terrible system imo. Having 24 teams makes it overall a bigger spectacle. More people have someone to watch and root for. More chance at upsets like Georgia beating Portugal.
You could almost guess the nationality of someone saying they prefer a 16 team tournament.
You could almost guess the nationality of someone saying they prefer a 16 team tournament.
As above, there were a few last games that were effectively pointless. England were already through because of the previous night's results, and Slovenia knew a draw was enough. Slovakia and Romania both knew a draw would suffice. Poland were out and France were through.
Georgia wouldn't have qualified for a 16 team tournament, and could have only, at best, finished third tonight.
In a 16 team tournament you need to finish in the top two to progress. In a 24 team tournament, you need to finish in the top three, and three points is often enough.
For the bigger teams, winning their first game effectively qualifies them, so they take their foot off their gas in the second knowing a draw confirms it. Draw again and they've a strong chance of winning the group.
For the smaller teams, just a point in their first two games keeps them alive, but even then, we can get shite like Scotland/Hungary in the final game as both end up too afraid to concede for most of the match.
It may as well be a 32 team tournament.
We're never going back to 16 teams so I'd be in favour of increasing it to 32. There's quite a few decent countries who haven't made it this year. It's not like we'd have Gibraltar qualifying.
God knows how qualifying would work though.
God knows how qualifying would work though.
No, your complaints are again all possible at a 16 team tournament. At a 16 team tournament, georgia could beat portugal and finish on 4 points, czechs could beat turkey and finish on 4 with a worse goal difference and behind georgia.
There hasnt been a tournament since time began that at least a few games meant nothing to one of the teams playing in it. Its unavoidable in 4 team groups and you just havent given an example of something that makes a 24 team tournament have a unique problem that cant occur in a 16 team tournament.
Bingo bango, my name is Django.
England didn't qualify for the last one in 2008... Probably why they expanded, need the biggest commercial teams in...
The group stage is largely pointless in this format.
Just padding the games out.
There aren't 16 top teams in Europe, So done smaller teams get a chance but you end up with a much tighter, higher quality tournament.
You came in claiming that one of the virtues of this format is "no dead rubbers" and have now shifted the goalposts to "other formats have them too". I know they do, but at least they don't encourage negative football in the same way.
Other formats don't heavily reward playing for draws like this format does. Other formats don't qualify teams for the next round because of results in an entire different group like this format does.
I would love it.
That's what made the Euros the most difficult international tournament to win. But that's not going to happen, too much money at stake.
The next WC with 48 teams will be awful.
Nobody will force you to watch it though.
Club season is finished. Im glad there is a fun tournament to watch right now
I'd be all for making it 32 teams.
Quality wise this is the worst tournament I can remember.
I'm all for the fairy tale stories of the minnows qualifying through the group stage but when it's coming 3rd it really means jack shit.
I'm all for the fairy tale stories of the minnows qualifying through the group stage but when it's coming 3rd it really means jack shit.
That all you could muster?
People saying that 16 teams format was better are the international football equivalent of people who want the Super League in club football.
It's a result of elitist mindset where only the top 8 teams matter and anyone else is irrelevant.
In reality 16 teams format SUCKED for all countries except the few giants of NT football like Germany, France, Italy etc.
It basically made qualifying for Euros as hard as qualifying for WC and meant that the vast majority of European nations only saw their country play on an international tournament once every blue moon or not even that. It resulted in entire generations of fans never being able to go on an international tournament for their country.
Literally every other continent has their continental cup accessible to teams of lesser quality, but big Euro countries want to keep their elitism going and prevent most of their continent to even compete. There are still many countries in Europe that haven't participated on an international tournament for DECADES, and you want to limit their possibilities further?
Going back to 16 teams would basically mean denying the many European fans the joy of ever seeing their national team play on the international tournament.
The only solution is to expand to 32 teams.
It's a result of elitist mindset where only the top 8 teams matter and anyone else is irrelevant.
In reality 16 teams format SUCKED for all countries except the few giants of NT football like Germany, France, Italy etc.
It basically made qualifying for Euros as hard as qualifying for WC and meant that the vast majority of European nations only saw their country play on an international tournament once every blue moon or not even that. It resulted in entire generations of fans never being able to go on an international tournament for their country.
Literally every other continent has their continental cup accessible to teams of lesser quality, but big Euro countries want to keep their elitism going and prevent most of their continent to even compete. There are still many countries in Europe that haven't participated on an international tournament for DECADES, and you want to limit their possibilities further?
Going back to 16 teams would basically mean denying the many European fans the joy of ever seeing their national team play on the international tournament.
The only solution is to expand to 32 teams.