League A

Group 1: Croatia, Portugal, Poland, Scotland
Group 2: Italy, Belgium, France, Israel
Group 3: Netherlands, Hungary, Germany, Bosnia
Group 4: Spain, Denmark, Switzerland, Serbia

League B

Group 1: Czech Republic, Ukraine, Albania, Georgia
Group 2: England, Finland, Ireland, Greece
Group 3: Austria, Norway, Slovenia, Kazakhstan
Group 4: Wales, Iceland, Montenegro, Turkey

League C

Group 1: Sweden, Azerbaijan, Slovakia, Estonia
Group 2: Romania, Kosovo, Cyprus, Lithuania/Gibraltar
Group 3: Luxembourg, Bulgaria, Northern Ireland, Belarus
Group 4: Armenia, Faroe Islands, North Macedonia, Latvia

League D

Group 1: Lithuania/Gibraltar, San Marino, Liechtenstein
Group 2: Moldova, Malta, Andorra

A couple of format changes: now two teams advance from each of League
A's groups to a quarterfinal round, played home and away. But from then
on it's business as usual, one of the semifinalists hosting the semis,
third place playoff and final.

They'll also include promotion/relegation playoffs, with each 3rd placed
team of the upper league facing a 2nd placed team from the lower one.
For groups C and D, worst two Group C 4th placed teams go down
automatically, while the other two 4th placed teams face two League D
runner ups.

Interesting change. As such, almost every group stage position leads
either to some sort of playoff or to a prize/punishment. Exceptions
being 3rd place in Leagues C and D. This could, in theory, lead to some
exciting Round 6 scenarios.

Also nice to see they scrapped the idea of adding Conmebol sides to this
tournament, due to Conmebol's 18-round long WCQ stage. Conmebol is too
small to create its own Nations League, so they should either try to
work together with Concacaf on that front, or simply not do it altogether.

I don't think it would work out well anyway: on one hand, with Russia's
suspension, it would yield a nice 64-team tournament, four divisions of
16; but on the other, it would either require massive travel for
everyone involved, or making Conmebol teams hold their games in Europe.
Probably fine for Brasil and Argentina, but not necessarily so for the
others. Plus, if one indeed goes down this path, one should probably go
the full measure and create a World Nations League anyway, multiple
divisions and all. Now that could be an interesting one...

Best regards,

Lléo

On 2024-02-08, Lléo <llb.moura@gmail.com> wrote:
> League A
>
> Group 1: Croatia, Portugal, Poland, Scotland

A weak group.

> Group 2: Italy, Belgium, France, Israel

Israel games in Belgium and France are going to be security
nigthmares.
> Group 3: Netherlands, Hungary, Germany, Bosnia

Great draw for NL.

> Group 4: Spain, Denmark, Switzerland, Serbia

Spain should walk this.

> League B
>
> Group 1: Czech Republic, Ukraine, Albania, Georgia
> Group 2: England, Finland, Ireland, Greece
> Group 3: Austria, Norway, Slovenia, Kazakhstan
> Group 4: Wales, Iceland, Montenegro, Turkey

Could Wales and Finland switch?

> League C
>
> Group 1: Sweden, Azerbaijan, Slovakia, Estonia

League C, bwahaha.

> Group 2: Romania, Kosovo, Cyprus, Lithuania/Gibraltar
> Group 3: Luxembourg, Bulgaria, Northern Ireland, Belarus
> Group 4: Armenia, Faroe Islands, North Macedonia, Latvia
>
> League D
>
> Group 1: Lithuania/Gibraltar, San Marino, Liechtenstein
> Group 2: Moldova, Malta, Andorra
>
> A couple of format changes: now two teams advance from each of League
> A's groups to a quarterfinal round, played home and away. But from then
> on it's business as usual, one of the semifinalists hosting the semis,
> third place playoff and final.
>
> They'll also include promotion/relegation playoffs, with each 3rd placed
> team of the upper league facing a 2nd placed team from the lower one.
> For groups C and D, worst two Group C 4th placed teams go down
> automatically, while the other two 4th placed teams face two League D
> runner ups.
>
> Interesting change. As such, almost every group stage position leads
> either to some sort of playoff or to a prize/punishment. Exceptions
> being 3rd place in Leagues C and D. This could, in theory, lead to some
> exciting Round 6 scenarios.

Thanks for this summary. I had not been following these changes.

> Also nice to see they scrapped the idea of adding Conmebol sides to this
> tournament, due to Conmebol's 18-round long WCQ stage. Conmebol is too
> small to create its own Nations League, so they should either try to
> work together with Concacaf on that front, or simply not do it altogether.
>
> I don't think it would work out well anyway: on one hand, with Russia's
> suspension, it would yield a nice 64-team tournament, four divisions of
> 16; but on the other, it would either require massive travel for
> everyone involved, or making Conmebol teams hold their games in Europe.
> Probably fine for Brasil and Argentina, but not necessarily so for the
> others.

Adding Brasil and Argentina was all that was about anyway.

Quoting Jesper Lauridsen in rec.sport.soccer:
>> League C
>> Group 1: Sweden, Azerbaijan, Slovakia, Estonia

Bah, Mickey Mouse league anyway.

--
Manchester United FC - CHAMPIONS
Latest: England '13 (20th) Europa '17, UEFA '08, World '08

On 2024-02-08 4:37 p.m., Lléo wrote:
> League A
>
> Group 1: Croatia, Portugal, Poland, Scotland
> Group 2: Italy, Belgium, France, Israel
> Group 3: Netherlands, Hungary, Germany, Bosnia
> Group 4: Spain, Denmark, Switzerland, Serbia

Israel is in Group A? UEFA and FIFA and the world really should be
banning them anyways for the non stop atrocities they have been
committing for ages.
>
> League B
>
> Group 1: Czech Republic, Ukraine, Albania, Georgia
> Group 2: England, Finland, Ireland, Greece
> Group 3: Austria, Norway, Slovenia, Kazakhstan
> Group 4: Wales, Iceland, Montenegro, Turkey

And England is in Group B?
>
> League C
>
> Group 1: Sweden, Azerbaijan, Slovakia, Estonia
> Group 2: Romania, Kosovo, Cyprus, Lithuania/Gibraltar
> Group 3: Luxembourg, Bulgaria, Northern Ireland, Belarus
> Group 4: Armenia, Faroe Islands, North Macedonia, Latvia
>
> League D
>
> Group 1: Lithuania/Gibraltar, San Marino, Liechtenstein
> Group 2: Moldova, Malta, Andorra
>
> A couple of format changes: now two teams advance from each of League
> A's groups to a quarterfinal round, played home and away. But from then
> on it's business as usual, one of the semifinalists hosting the semis,
> third place playoff and final.
>
> They'll also include promotion/relegation playoffs, with each 3rd placed
> team of the upper league facing a 2nd placed team from the lower one.
> For groups C and D, worst two Group C 4th placed teams go down
> automatically, while the other two 4th placed teams face two League D
> runner ups.
>
> Interesting change. As such, almost every group stage position leads
> either to some sort of playoff or to a prize/punishment. Exceptions
> being 3rd place in Leagues C and D. This could, in theory, lead to some
> exciting Round 6 scenarios.
>
> Also nice to see they scrapped the idea of adding Conmebol sides to this
> tournament, due to Conmebol's 18-round long WCQ stage. Conmebol is too
> small to create its own Nations League, so they should either try to
> work together with Concacaf on that front, or simply not do it altogether.
>
> I don't think it would work out well anyway: on one hand, with Russia's
> suspension, it would yield a nice 64-team tournament, four divisions of
> 16; but on the other, it would either require massive travel for
> everyone involved, or making Conmebol teams hold their games in Europe.
> Probably fine for Brasil and Argentina, but not necessarily so for the
> others. Plus, if one indeed goes down this path, one should probably go
> the full measure and create a World Nations League anyway, multiple
> divisions and all. Now that could be an interesting one...
>
>
> Best regards,
>
> Lléo

On Thursday, February 8, 2024 at 9:35:27 PM UTC, Lléo wrote:

> They'll also include promotion/relegation playoffs, with each 3rd placed
> team of the upper league facing a 2nd placed team from the lower one.
> For groups C and D, worst two Group C 4th placed teams go down
> automatically, while the other two 4th placed teams face two League D
> runner ups.
>

Why? There's already 25% of the teams in each League getting promoted and 25% getting relegated as it is. What do we need more than that for?

Mark wrote:

> On Thursday, February 8, 2024 at 9:35:27 PM UTC, Lléo wrote:
>
> > They'll also include promotion/relegation playoffs, with each
> > 3rd placed team of the upper league facing a 2nd placed team
> > from the lower one. For groups C and D, worst two Group C 4th
> > placed teams go down automatically, while the other two 4th
> > placed teams face two League D runner ups.
>
> Why?

Because UEFA are run by idiots!

Next question...

anders t <anthu_001@-nospam-hotmail.com> wrote:
> Quoting Jesper Lauridsen in rec.sport.soccer:
>>> League C
>>> Group 1: Sweden, Azerbaijan, Slovakia, Estonia
>
> Bah, Mickey Mouse league anyway.

Which for teams like Sweden might become a back door to the 2026 World Cup.

Ciao,
Werner