This sounds stupid to me surely the hosts can arrange their own friendly's if they want
Ian Abrahams
@BroadcastMoose 17m
Another rule change from UEFA ahead of Euro 2016 in France.France will be the first host nation to take part in a Championships qual phase.
Ian Abrahams
@BroadcastMoose 16m
France will still automatically qualify as hosts, but their group-stage games will serve as friendlies where no points will be awarded.
Comments
What next - Switzerland are announced as the next world up winner already - all game in the tournament will be for shits and giggles
Corrupt is not the word! And don't get me started on Jack Warner
makes sense to me. There is an odd number of teams in the group. This way all the other teams get a friendly when they would have been off, the small teams get a fairly big opponent to play, the hosts get to play games.
PLUS....who are France expected to play friendlies against when every other European team are playing qualifiers?
(obviously teams from other continents but that would mean playing no European teams in the 2 years leading up to a European tournament)
Not the worst idea IMO
Makes sense as they won't effectively be in the group, they just play whoever in that group has a free fixture.
It is in my opinion a farce.
Doesn't seem too ridiculous - they aren't really in the group - they're just playing friendlies against the team that would be without an opponent on a given match day due to an odd number of teams in their group.
The more surprising thing is that the French FA are up for it rather than taking the opportunity to go on a lucrative 2 year globe trotting adventure playing friendlies against South American teams in odd places.
They could put their ladies team out, you're outraged because you can't understand it.
Dope
Very much this.
Host nations, do well in tournaments if they are a major nation. It gives them order, playing these games but. The opponent might not even be challenging. ( Albania, Scotland, Luxembourg). Would cost them a lot of money to be made.
Either way the French must be delighted, there just going to be able to qualify. Without needing to cheat or performance come back results in the play offs.
Just think of it that France will play friendlies against the team that are free that week from the group with only 5 teams.
If they had just said that to begin with I don't think there would be so much fuss.
That said, I do agree that it's not a big advantage for them, as long as the games do not suddenly count as equal to a competitive game when working out the rankings.
As for lucrative friendlies? Well I am not sure that France v Colombia would quite have the appeal of Brazil v Germany in a far flung venue, wherever that may be?