The tournament that baffled everyone..2023

The European Nations League, established by the European Football Association, kicked off yesterday, to be held seasonally "every two years" with the participation of all teams that fall under its umbrella, and its first season concludes in June next year.

The European Nations League Championship raised a lot of controversy, due to its unusual system, as many observers saw that the tournament system is very complicated, and a large sector of them confirmed that they do not understand the tournament system yet, but they will do so. Just enjoy its matches until the picture becomes clear.

And it was not limited to the followers, but also extended to the players of the participating teams, as Harry Maguire, Leicester City defender, made a statement that some considered comical, when he confirmed that he and his colleagues in the English national team did not do so. But they understood the tournament system, but they would try to win all their matches. What is the European League of Nations? On 4 December 2014, UEFA approved the creation of a new tournament, to replace friendlies that take place on international calendar days that do not witness official matches. The tournament system provides for dividing the European Football Association into four levels, the first comprising 12 teams, the second 12 teams, the third comprising 15 teams and the fourth comprising 16 teams. Each of those levels will be divided into four groups, each group in the first and second levels includes 3 teams, while each group in the third and fourth levels includes 4 teams, except for the first group in the third level, which includes 3 teams. How are levels determined? The teams are divided between four levels according to the official classification issued by the European Union, and the current version was based on the classification that followed the end of the European qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup, which was held in Russia.

Championship levels .. and groups for each level Level One: Group One: Germany - France - Holland Group Two: Belgium - Switzerland - Iceland Group Three: Portugal - Italy - Poland Group Four: Spain - England - Croatia Level Two: Group One: Ukraine - Slovakia - Czech Republic Group B: Group C: Austria - Bosnia and Herzegovina - Northern Ireland Group D: Wales - Denmark - Ireland Group C: Scotland - Albania - Israel Group B: Hungary - Greece - Finland - Estonia Group C: Norway - Bulgaria - Slovenia - Cyprus Group D: Romania - Serbia - Montenegro - Lithuania Group D: Group A: Georgia - Latvia - Andorra - Kazakhstan Group B: Belarus - Luxembourg - Moldova - San Marino Group C: Azerbaijan - Faroe Islands - Malta - Kosovo Group Fourth: Macedonia - Armenia - Liechtenstein - Gibraltar How will the competition in the European Nations League be? Each team will face its opponents in its group back and forth, meaning that competitors in groups of 3 will play 4 matches, while competitors in groups of 4 play 6 matches. There is no lower level than it, and the leaders of the groups of each level will rise to the higher level, except for the leaders of the groups of the first level. What about the leaders of the first level groups? The leaders of the first-level groups compete for the European Nations League title, where a draw is made between them to face the knockout system in the semi-finals, before facing the third and fourth places, and then the conclusion of the match. With the final confrontation and the identification of the champion on the 9th of June 2019. The runners-up will qualify for the tournament. Perhaps the most complex point in the tournament, as the tournament system stipulates that four teams qualify for the next European Nations Cup according to their results in the European Nations League, and that stage provides one seat for each level of the tournament. . The European, where the best in terms of results meet with the lowest, while the third and fourth places meet with the knockout system, then the winners meet in a final match to determine the qualifiers. What if the leaders qualified mainly through the playoffs? The Euro finals through qualification will be replaced by the next team in preference to its level, and in the event that all teams from one level have already qualified for the European Nations Cup, the best ineligible team from the next level will be nominated.