THE EFFECT OF THE UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE ON TOP-FLIGHT CLUB LEAGUES: POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE
Positive, in all ramifications! – Ehiogu Justin Bede
The Nations League is a just-created tournament that involves all UEFA countries; its main aim is to replace meaningless international friendlies with increased competition, and to increase the lustre of national team football which has faded since the turn of the century, suffocated by the dominance of the club game. The World Cup and European championship occupy the even years; now, the Nations League will occupy the odd years, ensuring that there is always a competitive national tournament for European national teams to be involved in.
There is no doubt that ardent football fans would be extremely pleased with the introduction of this national league, but its opponents – perhaps club coaches, for instance, might say that it would bring added stress on the players, and be potentially detrimental to their fitness. Not true. The Nations League does not bring in a whole new set of games; it merely transforms friendlies from the ill watched drudgery they have now become to scintillating football. Indeed, it is no more threatening to the fitness of players than the international breaks have always been, for in terms of causing injuries, a competitive game of football is truly no riskier than a friendly one.
The League would present an opportunity for a slew of European players to gain much-needed experience; after all, not every top-flight team can qualify for the Champions League, and not every player’s team gets to qualify for the Euros, or the World Cup; but every European team is qualified to play the National League, and each would play against teams of its own quality: for instance, England gets to play against sterner opposition than, say Latvia, or Liechtenstein.
So indeed, the Nations League was not founded to undermine the top-flight club leagues, nor does it adversely affect them. It was founded to improve the quality, and allure of football; its success would be the success of all and sunder in this amazing sport.