Speaking to Bild, via Goal, legendary Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was quoted saying,
“We need to get rid of the Nations League and find clearer events that everyone understands. If you ask people in the street what the Nations League is, you won’t find many able to explain it.
“We need to have as few events as possible. One World Cup and one European Championship every other year would probably be more appropriate for a modern world.”
The Nations League is currently in its second-ever edition as an international tournament. Its purpose was to generate the competitive spirit among national teams that friendly fixtures could not provide.
While it has succeeded in its initial purpose, the format is a bit too confusing and common folk might be unable to grasp the complex nature of the tourney.
According to the former manager, the tournament should be scrapped, and instead, the Euros and the World Cup should be held every two years, with the two competitions held in subsequent years.
While it would mean that the qualification process for both the esteemed competitions become simpler, it would demand an overhaul of the current qualifying system.
Combating the argument that the tournaments could lose their value if they were held every two years, Wenger pointed out that the Champions League, held every single year, is one of the most-watched competitions in the world. And it is hard to disagree with that statement.
“I always tell people who say this that the image is not linked to the time you wait before playing again, but rather the quality of the competition. After all, people also watch the Champions League every year.”
Wenger continued to say,“I think it would be a great step forward.”
While there is no update from FIFA themselves regarding this proposition, fans could be thrilled with the prospect of having so much of football being played, and highly rewarding, quality fixtures taking place so often.
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