Waiting for Uefa to come out with a good idea is much like waiting for a bus: nothing for ages and then two come along at the same time.
The best way of organising the 12 host cities would be to create geographically-based ‘hubs’ not spread over too large an area- James Calvert
The previous week, European football’s ruling body was talking about potentially killing off the Europa League, which I still believe is a cracking idea despite what a reader, Bryan Priest, says below.
And now, following hot on its heels, is the announcement that in 2020 the European Championships will not be granted to a single country but instead spread over the entire continent.
Admittedly, some of the magic of having a single host nation (or two, as has been the case recently) will be lost in the new format. There was always something intriguing about watching how a country prepares for this football festival.
But, generally speaking, the new plan will mean that more countries, whose infrastructures would not be able to cope with hosting an entire tournament, will be able to get involved.
Up to now, in order for any one nation to host the tournament, they would need to have anything up to a dozen first-class stadiums, not to mention all the supporting services like transport and accommodation. Out of reach for many countries.
And with the expansion of the tournament to 24 teams, those demands would have got even tougher, leaving only a limited number of countries capable of bidding for the four-yearly contest.
There has been some opposition to the plan from supporters concerned about what sort of travelling this new set-up will involve. And I have to agree this is certainly a worry.
You wouldn’t want, for example, England to be playing their group games in Spain and then having to move to Russia for the next phase. That would be impractical, expensive and unfair on the fans.
However, provided the whole thing is properly thought through and supporters are put at the top of the priority list, then I genuinely believe this can only be good for European football.
The best way of organising the 12 host cities, I imagine, would be to create geographically-based ‘hubs’ which would cover several countries but not spread over too large an area.
Who knows, there’s always a chance Malta might even be able to get involved as part of one these hubs. It’s a remote chance, considering where we are located, but not entirely impossible.
All in all, I think it’s a pretty sensible idea and, provided it is handled properly, one that everyone will eventually come round to supporting. So that’s two in a row from Uefa. Are you feeling lucky Mr Platini, because the hat-trick is very much on…
Significant Sunday
The Premier League season is still pretty much in its infancy and there is still a long way to go before anything is settled. But even at this early stage it is looking increasingly like it is going to end up as a two-horse race.
And that makes today’s clash between the top two that much more exciting.
Obviously, winning today will realistically make little or no difference to the eventual outcome. There will still be plenty more points to play for, plenty more chances for slip-ups and plenty more twists and turns.
But a direct clash between the two favourites is always going to feel that much more important and season-defining.
On the one hand Manchester City will be looking to bounce back from their European humiliation (and that’s what it was Roberto Mancini, no matter how you dress it up) and there is no better way of doing that than winning a local derby and knocking your rivals off top spot.
Manchester United, meanwhile, will be looking to cement their top place and open up a six-point gap. That’s not an insurmountable lead by any stretch of the imagination, but it will give them a great psychological boost going into the busy festive season.
As I said, this game is nowhere near a title decider. But it could still turn out to have a pretty significant effect on the way things pan out over the next six months.
So who’s going to win? I’ve got this one down as a high-scoring draw…
Grumpy old men
Put-down of the week has to go to Ferrari president Luca Di Montezemolo.
In the wake of the controversy surrounding the Brazilian Grand Prix, and whether newly-crowned champion Sebastian Vettel had overtaken illegally, F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone said Ferrari’s potential challenge to the result was “a joke”. But Di Montezemolo hit back at 82-year-old Ecclestone with a scathing attack.
“We must respect the elderly, especially when they can no longer control their words. Seniority is often incompatible with certain roles and responsibilities,” the comparatively spritely 65-year-old said.
Ultimately, the Italian team decided not to pursue the overtaking issue, leaving Vettel as the undisputed world champion.
That must have left Ecclestone with a rather large smile on his face. If only he could remember what it was he was smiling about…
Your say
“So you think Michel Platini’s proposal to scrap the Europa League, aka ‘dead donkey’ in order to expand the Champions League is the right way to go. Let’s chuck some fifth, sixth and seventh place ‘champions’ in to make a more exciting competition.
“Yeah right, more like a more money competition as usual. More boring group league games and no interest until the knockout stages come along months later.
“Your emphasis is on Uefa cow-towing to the ‘big’ clubs in order to keep them happy and not upset them so that they will go off and form their own breakaway league.
“Well if they did exactly that, then I for one would say good riddance. The Europa League/Cup would then see a proper competition contested a bit more evenly than the so-called ‘Champions’ league.
“Maybe I’m naïve but surely football should be about competing for trophies. Instead, success is now measured on how much a club’s turnover can be increased. If the so-called lesser clubs can’t compete financially in or around Champions League football then why deny them an opportunity of glory elsewhere?
“You say you have not watched a Europa League game in years and that it is a ‘pointless competition’. I can tell you that in 2009/10 the competition provided me and thousands of other Fulham fans the most exciting season of our lives and would therefore take issue with you.
“If sometime in the future Sheffield United somehow manage anything likewise, then my guess is you would take a slightly different view.
“Granted, the Europa League has flaws which obviously need addressing. For a start, allowing teams who have failed in a Champions League group entry into the competition’s later stages is simply ridiculous.
“Fulham suffered in 2010 through this stupid rule by losing to a team in the final who really should no longer have been involved in European games that season.
“By all means make appropriate changes, such as doing away with the league format and simply employ a straightforward two-leg knockout.
“If Uefa decide to take away the opportunity for smaller clubs to have their chance in the European spotlight just for the sake of keeping Manchester United and company happy then it will be a very sad day indeed.” Bryan Priest, e-mail.
sportscolumnist@timesofmalta.com
Twitter: @maltablade