tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6071830395576896110.post6064294621903027264..comments2024-03-06T05:00:13.523+00:00Comments on Magic Spongers: The Euros - It's A Numbers GameMagic Spongershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13034336171009075074noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6071830395576896110.post-45370323643669119972012-06-14T19:10:58.804+01:002012-06-14T19:10:58.804+01:00I think the idea for an 24-team European Champions...I think the idea for an 24-team European Championship is bu****it. If minnows countries like Scotland, Norway and Lithuania cannot qualify then it should be a message to them to up their game and get better to go to tournaments. Not handed to them on a platter. The reason why the 16-team tournament works is because of the good groups and the number of European countries. In the current format, you mostly have a Group of Death (which is always entertaining), matches like Italy v Spain, then France v England in the opening games and just better to watch. If you have 24 teams, you just get bloated and have little more what you expect from qualifying. And Europe doesn't have enough countries as it is. Europe has around 53 registered countries, and 24 practially half of the continent in a tournament. How is that fair or workable in qualifying? <br /><br />If UEFA want to try it in 2016 then let them, and if this fails, which I think it will, then revert it back to the old format from 2020 onwards. And let have a fair play-off system. No more seedings, make it random again. European Championships should be for the best 16 teams in Europe. If you are not good enough to get there, then you need to improve. Obviously Platini doesn't get that and is just playing lip-service to underachieving nations.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com