International football isn't working out any longer - left field suggestion!

[Qwerty]

Personally I think the World Cup was a complete and utter flop. All the qualifying games, the incredible expense and logistics to bring up so many mediocre games and a really lousy final to cap it all with the incessant droning of the vuvuzelas just adding to the pain. It just wasn't worth it!

Another thing that doesn't work are friendlies, what a waste of time!

And playing minnows like San Marino, Faroe Islands etc

How about this, break up UEFA countries into tiers and groups. Roughly 50 teams so lets say 2 tiers of 20 and the dregs can have their own tier.

4 groups of 5, play 8 games.
End of season each of the 4 group winners play semi-final & final for each tier.

Every 4 years you could have an elite World Cup of 4 reps from UEFA zone and 4 from Africa, 4 from South America, 2 from Asia and 2 from CONCACAF.

The WC is getting too big and meaningless and the European Championships are going the same way. The finals are being devalued.

I think this idea would re-invigorate competition in international football, no friendlies and no playing minnows. And a final at the end of each season, and the 2nd tier would also have it's winners.

And you can have promotion & relegation.

The current format is just so jaded.

I know it's left field and probably madcap and will never happen ...

( to get even more mad cap - as most of the SA players are over in Europe anyhow why not have them play their teams as well ... OK that is probably too wild )

But from an Ireland perspective it would mean better quality opposition and more meaningful games.

[SkStu]

itll never happen and youre overrating the value of international football to players. The WC and Euros, AN and Copa America are HUGE money to their respective organisations. If FIFA wont even introduce goalline/replay technology then what hope this?

[Charlie Darwin]

I enjoyed the World Cup.

[irishfan86]

It was a poor World Cup, mainly due to the f*cking terrible ball.

That doesn't mean you revamp the entire structure of world football.

[Stuttgart88]

I enjoyed the World Cup.Me too, more than enjoyed it.

[rebelmusic]

Aye thought it was great, was very unpredicatable and some bizarre but fun results. And most importantly, the team playing proper decent positive football won it.

Altho i agree with the vuvus...they should all be incinerated

[Crosby87]

The world cup was not great but man there were some great pictures of cute chick fans. I think I might have to go to Paraguay.
If you think Intl FB is stupid now, wait till they get to Brazil in 4 years and they dont have a game in a city of 30 million people. B/C they dont have an acceptable stadium there. In Brazil. Where there are stadiums everywhere. Oy. Everyone is going to be flying into there and leaving immediately?? Yikes.
Travel nightmares. Gordon Ramsey can host.

[yapster]

A better WC than the last few thats for sure even though the Final was crap as usual.

[ArdeeBhoy]

It was OK.
No more, no less.

[Gather round]

How about this, break up UEFA countries into tiers and groups. Roughly 50 teams so lets say 2 tiers of 20 and the dregs can have their own tier.

4 groups of 5, play 8 games.
End of season each of the 4 group winners play semi-final & final for each tier.

Every 4 years you could have an elite World Cup of 4 reps from UEFA zone and 4 from Africa, 4 from South America, 2 from Asia and 2 from CONCACAF.

The WC is getting too big and meaningless and the European Championships are going the same way. The finals are being devalued.

I think this idea would re-invigorate competition in international football, no friendlies and no playing minnows. And a final at the end of each season, and the 2nd tier would also have it's winners.

And you can have promotion & relegation

I too would like to see a smaller World Cup, with ideally only 16 or as a compromise 24 finalists. Of course I realise that most FIFA members are likely to oppose this, as it would reduce their chance of qualifying. On the other hand, FIFA may be influenced by outside factors- cost in a long-term World recession, political instability etc. Poland and Ukraine are struggling even to stage the 2012 Euro finals, Colombia had to pull out of staging the 1994 World Cup.

A big drawback of your plan is that anyone excluded from the elite- however temporarily, even with promotion and relegation- would miss out not just on even a nominal chance of qualification, but also ANY competition games against better opposition. As an alternative, I suggest

* only six European qualifiers for a 16 team World Cup finals
* two stage qualifying process
* first, 12 groups of four or five, held over one season, winners progress to
* second, three groups of four, held over next season, winners and runners up progress to finals
* similar structure for other FIFA blocs (say four places for Americas, three Africa, two Asia/ Oceania
European finals broadly unchanged with 16 finalists.

This way, everyone enters every competition, with a guarantee of

* at least six qualifying games in each World Cup
* competitive football in three seasons out of every four, friendlies or ad hoc competitions could fill the gap

[ArdeeBhoy]

There's more chance of a UI football team than a <32-team World Cup Finals.
Who in, er, their right mind Dr.D., would want to restrict access access to the WCF's anyway.
Rightly or wrongly there's an elite of 10-15 countries that could host this sized tournament indefinitely, for the forseeable future.

And you want competitive international football every season. Or people would be even less interested generally than they are now!
Unless it means going to a new country, international friendlies are completely dull.