Inviting Brazil & Argentina to European Championship

I reckon UEFA should do this instead of expanding to 24 teams. It would be a much better tournament with a couple more top quality teams in it instead of the likes of the Ukraine and the Czech Republic. Could even supplant the World Cup as the foremost football tournament.

Are there any good arguments against this? Other than ridiculous semantic ones of course.

Uruguay are currently a better and more interesting team than Brazil and Argentina. I say substitute Argentina for Uruguay.

I agree it works well in the Copa America, but don't have two fixed teams.

Would be ridiculous because it's the EUROPEAN Championships, it gives EUROPEAN teams a chance to qualify.

No, because they probably wouldn't take it very seriously and they would send several under-21 players like Costa Rica and Mexico did at the last Copa America. And if they did bring their best players then many of them won't get adequate rest due to potentially participating in four summer competitions in consecutive years. I don't think the club teams who employ them would appreciate that.

Jord wrote:Uruguay are currently a better and more interesting team than Brazil and Argentina. I say substitute Argentina for Uruguay.

Only more interesting to you because of Suarez, I don't see how to the neutral they are more interesting than a team that has the best player in the world who apparently can't perform without Xavi and Iniesta while also Neymar who hasn't 'proven' himself outside of Brazil.

Japan were invited to the Copa right? It doesn't make sense, I don't like the idea.

Ben 10 wrote:Would be ridiculous because it's the EUROPEAN Championships, it gives EUROPEAN teams a chance to qualify.

It would still be the European Championships because it would still be held in and organised by Europe. Israel's presence in UEFA provides a greater challenge to that.

BladeGunner wrote:No, because they probably wouldn't take it very seriously and they would send several under-21 players like Costa Rica and Mexico did at the last Copa America. And if they did bring their best players then many of them won't get adequate rest due to potentially participating in four summer competitions in consecutive years. I don't think the club teams who employ them would appreciate that.

If they didn't take it seriously then forget it, but their U-23s are playing in the Olympics in Euro years anyway. And fuck the clubs, they don't have a say in it.

It would be better than expanding to 24 teams but I don't think they should do either. How would you determine which teams would get an invite? Also, would you be assured that those teams will be sending their best squads? They're more likely to focus their energy and resources on the Copa America and world cup qualifying.

If CONMEBOL had 12 teams I doubt they would ever bring invites into the equation, it's stupid to expand the Euro's to 24 teams but inviting two South American teams is just as bad.

menalawyerguy wrote:It would be better than expanding to 24 teams but I don't think they should do either. How would you determine which teams would get an invite?

Ask UEFA's marketing department, or the TV companies.

Also, would you be assured that those teams will be sending their best squads? They're more likely to focus their energy and resources on the Copa America and world cup qualifying.

As I say, if they aren't going to send their top players then forget it. I think they would though, they're not going to send their U23s because the Olympics is always just after the Euros.

Don't really like the idea myself. European championship for European teams.

ResurrectionRooney wrote:I reckon UEFA should do this instead of expanding to 24 teams. It would be a much better tournament with a couple more top quality teams in it instead of the likes of the Ukraine and the Czech Republic. Could even supplant the World Cup as the foremost football tournament.

Are there any good arguments against this? Other than ridiculous semantic ones of course.

What's wrong with the Czech Republic? They topped Group A.

Anyways, I don't like the idea at all. I don't like it when it happens in the Copa America, but it's kind of necessary because South America has only 10 teams.

ahlycotc wrote:
What's wrong with the Czech Republic? They topped Group A.

Eh...somebody had to.

menalawyerguy wrote:

ahlycotc wrote:
What's wrong with the Czech Republic? They topped Group A.

Eh...somebody had to.

Yeah and not a bad team.

They're not bad. But that is easily the weakest group in the tourny. They lost their opening game 4-1 and still went on to win the group. der fuq?

It's just fine the way it is. I don't think they should start inviting either of these teams...that's why we have the world cup.

ayvee1 wrote:Don't really like the idea myself. European championship for European teams.

This.


Anyway, the Euros expanding to 24 teams ensures that big teams like England don't miss out on the tournament anymore.

I like the idea of expansion because alot of intriguing teams didn't make the field this year like Turkey, Switzerland, Slovakia, etc. But adding teams not from Europe is just silly, they have their own tournament.

fluffy_kittens wrote:I like the idea of expansion because alot of intriguing teams didn't make the field this year like Turkey, Switzerland, Slovakia, etc. But adding teams not from Europe is just silly, they have their own tournament.

So having teams from outside Europe is silly, but having Turkey is OK? Ridiculous.

If the UK cedes a postage stamp sized piece of land to Brazil and a postage stamp sized piece of land to Argentina, they will be partially in Europe. Are you OK with them being invited to the Championship then?

ResurrectionRooney wrote:

fluffy_kittens wrote:I like the idea of expansion because alot of intriguing teams didn't make the field this year like Turkey, Switzerland, Slovakia, etc. But adding teams not from Europe is just silly, they have their own tournament.

So having teams from outside Europe is silly, but having Turkey is OK? Ridiculous.

If the UK cedes a postage stamp sized piece of land to Brazil and a postage stamp sized piece of land to Argentina, they will be partially in Europe. Are you OK with them being invited to the Championship then?

no, those teams are not recognized as part of Europe and the thing is I feel like this would take away the charm of the world cup. Think about it, how often do you get to see teams from Europe play teams from Africa, Sotuh America, and Asia? only the occasional friendly every now and then, thats what creates the unpredicatbility of the world cup the teams dont play eachother very often, have completely different styles, and dont know what to expect. Thats how I feel about it anyway.

BladeGunner wrote:No, because they probably wouldn't take it very seriously and they would send several under-21 players like Costa Rica and Mexico did at the last Copa America. And if they did bring their best players then many of them won't get adequate rest due to potentially participating in four summer competitions in consecutive years. I don't think the club teams who employ them would appreciate that.

Costa Rica and Mexico didn't send a U-21 team by choice you know.

Concacaf threw a hissy fit and made them send over weak squad. I don't know about Costa Rica but I can tell you Mexico takes it pretty seriously. As recent as 2007 and 2001 they won third place and were runner ups.

Only teams in the UEFA footballing body should play in the Euros. Other teams have their own footballing bodies which host their own tournaments.

You wouldn't introduce Barcelona and Real into the Premier League, they have their own competition and a "best of nations" clash happens in the Champions League anyway. Similarly, non-UEFA teams can face off against Europeans in the World Cup.

Edit: Who decides who a "top" player is anyway? The teams are there to win, not to parade around players. If they choose not to take a good side, the price they pay is that they don't win. It doesn't mean that they should be forced into choosing certain players.

The Euros isn't just some exhibition set-up like the Emirates Cup, it's one of only two serious tournaments that international European teams can compete in, and throwing in teams from other continents, which will subsequently eject teams that have worked hard to be there, just so people can see the likes of Neymar etc. would just be ridiculous.

You guys are crushing my dreams of a San Marino v Andorra final.

poor Weather

You can be an idiot at times.

fluffy_kittens wrote:

ResurrectionRooney wrote:

So having teams from outside Europe is silly, but having Turkey is OK? Ridiculous.

If the UK cedes a postage stamp sized piece of land to Brazil and a postage stamp sized piece of land to Argentina, they will be partially in Europe. Are you OK with them being invited to the Championship then?

no, those teams are not recognized as part of Europe and the thing is I feel like this would take away the charm of the world cup. Think about it, how often do you get to see teams from Europe play teams from Africa, Sotuh America, and Asia? only the occasional friendly every now and then, thats what creates the unpredicatbility of the world cup the teams dont play eachother very often, have completely different styles, and dont know what to expect. Thats how I feel about it anyway.

Are Turkey a recognised part of Europe? What about Russia? Kazakhstan? What about Israel, which is situated entirely in Asia? Does the presence of these nations harm the competition?

The World Cup is a lot more predictable because the quality of the weakest teams is a lot lower.

ricky//habana wrote:Only teams in the UEFA footballing body should play in the Euros. Other teams have their own footballing bodies which host their own tournaments.

Yes, and these bodies invite teams from other continents, teams such as Spain. Why not return the favour?

You wouldn't introduce Barcelona and Real into the Premier League, they have their own competition and a "best of nations" clash happens in the Champions League anyway. Similarly, non-UEFA teams can face off against Europeans in the World Cup.

This argument falls apart when you realise that a non-English team already competes in the Premier League.

Edit: Who decides who a "top" player is anyway? The teams are there to win, not to parade around players. If they choose not to take a good side, the price they pay is that they don't win. It doesn't mean that they should be forced into choosing certain players.

Nobody needs to decide, it's patently obvious. If they send a side which isn't their strongest and they get the piss slapped out of them then they don't get invited for the next Championship. This is not particularly difficult.

The Euros isn't just some exhibition set-up like the Emirates Cup, it's one of only two serious tournaments that international European teams can compete in, and throwing in teams from other continents, which will subsequently eject teams that have worked hard to be there, just so people can see the likes of Neymar etc. would just be ridiculous.

Of course it's not an exhibition, it's arguably the second most prestigious tournament in international football. Making it more difficult to win by throwing in a couple more excellent sides will enhance that prestige, not detract from it, having countries like Greece win it detracts from it.

Weather130 wrote:You guys are crushing my dreams of a San Marino v Andorra final.

Maybe OFC can invite them to the OFC Nations Cup or whatever they call it.

ResurrectionRooney wrote:

Weather130 wrote:You guys are crushing my dreams of a San Marino v Andorra final.

Maybe OFC can invite them to the OFC Nations Cup or whatever they call it.

Taiwan was once a part of OFC and along with Israel but they never took part in this tournament.