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There’s little doubt that EURO 2012 was a wonderful and entertaining tournament. Much like its predecessor, this tournament also provided drama, attacking football and surprises. With this in mind, if the decision of UEFA to extend the number of teams playing in the tournament from 16 to 24 in EURO 2016 baffled you, then the latest idea put forth by Michel Platini, to play EURO 2020 in 13 countries is sure to leave you wide eyed and astonished.
Much like his many ideas, Michel Platini’s intentions cannot be faulted. The official statement says that the expansion would ”give middle ranked teams a much greater chance to qualify for the final tournament, thereby expanding the fan base directly reached, increasing the number of matches played and increasing the overall stadium capacity.”
With this new format set for 2016, out of the 24 teams, 16 will qualify for the knockout round, including 2 top teams from each group and 4 third placed teams from 6 groups of four. With this new format, the competition will be stretched with more matches and in theory, the third placed team may not necessarily win any matches, which may lead to teams parking the bus rather than going all guns blazing as we have come to witness in the recent tournaments. Also, with more matches on the cards, the number of stadiums needed and the capital needed to get them in shape is another worry that should have been foreseen.
The need for a drastic change in the system that has proved to be so successful is bewildering. With only 16 teams playing, the system made sure we only get the most deserving teams playing in the tournament and made the competition in qualifying stages all the more cut throat.
Now for the latest and more baffling grand plan by UEFA, to have 13 countries host the tournament in 2020, with 12 of them hosting 4 matches until the quarter final and the 13th country hosting the semi finals and finals. With the new format which has multiple hosts, automatic qualification has also been removed.
It is safe to say that the decision has not been met by a favourable reaction from the fans. From a fan’s perspective, to travel to any country for watching and supporting their team in any tournament is a very expensive affair. To add more travel means more expenses, more time consuming and exhaustion. Also, to host such a tournament for any country is a chance for them to show their culture and lifestyle to others and promote tourism in their country and draw even the amount of money they spend on the infrastructure and hosting of the tournament. With this new format, fans will travel from country to country with time for nothing else than watching football. And with the added expense of multiple plane tickets, the fans are unlikely to go out and enjoy, thus effecting tourism.
UEFA has claimed that this is a one time only try out and the format will be reverted back to the original, and much more sensible, format for EURO 2024. But there is a lingering suspicion that this is unlikely to happen and the new format will be the future of this tournament.
Like Platini’s many ill advised but good willed plans to ‘improve’ the beautiful game, this one too is not without its drawbacks.
