finneys13

People are already saying players are playing too many games Gav, that makes it worse.

8 groups in Europe to get 8 automatic qualifiers mean 8 or 9 teams in each group, 16 games ffs. And then the mini groups.

Gregg Carter

No it doesn't. I'm struggling to understand Gav's plan, but that definitely isn't it mate,

Red_Hector

Hahahahahahahaha ul Australia :cool:

Meitheisman

I think you're wrong. Gav proposed 8 automatic countries qualified from Europe (hence the 8 groups that Finney's talking about, 55+ countries in Europe so 7 teams per group)
Then the mini groups. I like the idea but it would be a lot of games.

Although I'd like the qualif to be worldwide and not per continent. If 25 european countries make it and 0 asian teams so be it, I want the best countries in the world in the world cup, not the best countries by continent.
I understand the media coverage/money issue though.

Gav Stone

I think you're wrong. Gav proposed 8 automatic countries qualified from Europe (hence the 8 groups that Finney's talking about, 55+ countries in Europe so 7 teams per group)
Then the mini groups. I like the idea but it would be a lot of games.

Although I'd like the qualif to be worldwide and not per continent. If 25 european countries make it and 0 asian teams so be it, I want the best countries in the world in the world cup, not the best countries by continent.
I understand the media coverage/money issue though. </BLOCKQUOTE>Hence my proposed scheme achieves some balance of each continent, as well as ensuring the most worthy nations qualify.

And how, say, Europe sorts out their qualifiers would determine how many games are played. So no, it need not necessarily mean more matches. If the weaker Euro nations are whittled down through a series of pre-qualifiers (such as Africa and Asia do now), then you could easily have 32 nations in 8 groups. Home and away would make six matches for England, say.

If they then have to go through the repechage round, it would mean a further three matches. So a total of nine qualifiers (max of 12 if a weaker Euro nation goes through the whole process) - how does that compare to qualifiers now?

Let's face it, the whole qualification process in Europe is beastly as things stand and is crying out for being streamlined.

Gav Stone

What is it then, Gregg? I am happy to try and explain it again before I take it to FIFA HQ.

PMLF

Agree. Time to merge it with Asia, while also merge CONCACAF and CONMENBOL. Oh, and while they're at it, incorporate more global WC qualifiers to provide more of a balance of the best teams in the competition. </BLOCKQUOTE>


It doesn't make sense to merge CONCACAF and CONMEBOL, as the distances involved would be huge. it would be like merging Europe and Asia or Europe and Africa).

As for WC spots, I think no continent should have more than 1 team per group in the WC (meaning no continent should have more than 8 spots).

Docker

Imo the 'Stans of this world need to be moved into the Asian groups rather than the European.

finneys13

Only 8 European teams

Apart from the Kazakhs, what other 'stans are in UEFA?

RubenJ

Let's hope we (Belgium, and also the Netherlands as we would be unable to organise it on our own) get it, so we can play a major tournament again for once. Because I don't really see us qualifying from any group at this point.

And by that time, I will hopefully be rich enough to buy me some tickets for the final.

England do have a right to organise the event but you have the olympics in a couple of years ffs, and you can watch high standard football every weekend as opposed to us with our lousy Jupiler league... We NEED that tournament. You can have it in 2022.