As we all know, the international break has become one of the most dreaded periods of the soccer season. The lack of excitement in seeing matchups such as China vs Serbia or Portugal vs Saudi Arabia is already enough to warrant changing the TV channel. However, even in what should be seen as pristine matches such as England vs. Germany, games end up being drawn out and boring due to the general lack of motivation and desire to avoid injuries. The overall lack of competitive matches is one of the sole factors which makes these games almost unwatchable.
The Nations League is an effort to change this problem with the international break. Through the utilization of various tactics, UEFA hopes to improve competition during international breaks, increasing viewership and obviously revenue.
How Does The Nations League Work?
In order to stimulate this competition, UEFA uses a system of promotion and relegation among four different leagues, all classified with different letters of the alphabet (League A, B, C, D). In these leagues are four separate groups, each containing three European national teams. These leagues are separated based on UEFA rank. Teams at the top of the UEFA rankings, such as Germany, France, and England, are drawn into League A. Teams at the bottom of the rankings, such as Latvia and Armenia, are drawn into league D.
What’s The Point?
The Nations League serves as a tournament. It will allow the winners of each of League A groups to compete every two years, 2019, 2021, and 2023, for a trophy. These tournaments take place every year without the World Cup or European Cup.
Furthermore, the competition will have a direct impact on European qualification. Every League has four playoff spots in order to compete for European Qualification. If the winner of a group within the league has already qualified for the European Championship, then the runner-up of the group will play instead. These four teams from each league will compete in a 16-team tournament, with the top teams from each of the four groups qualifying for the European Championship.
What Are The Benefits?
It’s an effort to incentivize international matches between what should be high-level opponents. The previous international friendlies were incapable of truly motivating players, and as a result, have been much less entertaining. Hopefully, the Nations League can succeed in making international breaks something to look forward to, rather than to dread.