Richard Fleming: The UEFA Nations League, is there a point to it?

The UEFA Nations League, is there a point to it?

by Richard Fleming

So, a question posed to me in recent days is one that has been answered across numerous media platforms and which indicates how much this new-fangled initiative has failed to capture the soccer fans’ imagination. What is the UEFA Nations League?

A straight-forward question, but one which elicits shrugs, and raised eyebrows, and the gentle shaking of the head.

In short, the Nations League is a way of allowing for international friendlies to have more meaning. It’s UEFA’s attempt to create a more competitive environment for matches outside of World Cup and European Championship qualifiers.

Now, of course, those cynical sorts amongst us will see this as nothing more than an attempt to reinvigorate the international friendly. A match with meaning is more likely to attract more fans. More fans means more revenue. More meaning also means more media dollars.

To be fair, there is a sizeable carrot dangled for the 55 nations involved.

The teams are split into four leagues – A, B, C, D – based upon rankings. Within those four leagues, there are four groups. The four group winners from each league – so 16 teams – will go into a playoff, with four places at the 2020 European Championship up for grabs.

That will add a little spice to proceedings, but I can’t help feeling that this will only become relevant in the latter stages, and if one or more of the region’s senior nations struggle in qualifying for the Euros.

Furthermore, fans are creatures of habit. We distance ourselves from change, and frown at fresh formats. The Nations League has an end goal, but it has no history. It has also been added to an already saturated soccer schedule.

And what of the managers of leading club sides across Europe? In the past, conversations were had between and managers of club and country, allowing for some players to either be rested or given limited minutes in international friendly matches. Now, with fewer friendlies, how prepared will international managers be to abide by any previous gentlemen’s agreement?

I’ve sat through international friendlies, and they can be something of a mixed bag, particularly those post major championships, such as the FIFA World Cup. Where they do rise a few notches in intensity are in the weeks and months leading into continental competition, with players fighting for a spot on the squad.

The UEFA Nations League may help generate more interest in the months following a World Cup or European Championship, when fans have been force-fed sloppy seconds having feasted from the top table just weeks earlier. The come down from such high-profile competitions is clear and obvious, with apathy apparent, especially if the national team in question exited said competition early.

What we have learned in the past 25 years is that, ultimately, money matters more in the modern game. The European Cup has become the UEFA Champions League. The Cup Winners’ Cup and UEFA Cup have made way for the Europa League.

These are just to ways UEFA have found of monetizing their competitions. The FA Cup, on the other hand – cherished by generations – is now a secondary competition, because the spin-offs of success are less sought after.

But I’ll leave you with this, because I’m still undecided on the merits of the Nations League. Are the game’s chiefs guilty of meddling too much? Do we need yet another competition? How much is too much soccer? At what stage do we reach saturation point? Are we in danger of killing the cash cow? Will more competitive games mean higher prices at the turnstiles? And will England have to go through a penalty shoot-out?