Arsene Wenger's Proposed Changes to the World Football Schedule

[FoxyLeon]

3 hours ago, Lambert09 said:

It’s not about that. Let’s just say Messi had been born in San Marino and Ronaldo in Andorra. They shouldn’t be given the chance to get their countries into a competition simply because of the population size? 
 

Of course now they don’t compete, but there is always the chance a talented crop of players come through (Albeit unlikely) 

 

I really don’t get how you can think they don’t deserve a chance to compete. 
 

Perhaps there should be early stage qualifiers like the fa cup to limit the games and raise the standard... but there must always be a route in for each country. 

 

They're given opportunities to qualify, are they not?

Where have you got the idea that I've said they don't deserve a chance at all?

 

I guess we've got to make Football snowflake friendly now too though.

Maybe we should just give a free auto qualification spot for the worst performing side?

[Dan LCFC]

I know this one has fallen quite well for LCFC but my god this first international break is rubbish. Even worse when it's just after a big tournament too. After a tournament I'd happily see no international football for another 8 months.

[Dan LCFC]

3 hours ago, Lambert09 said:

It’s not about that. Let’s just say Messi had been born in San Marino and Ronaldo in Andorra. They shouldn’t be given the chance to get their countries into a competition simply because of the population size? 
 

Of course now they don’t compete, but there is always the chance a talented crop of players come through (Albeit unlikely) 

 

I really don’t get how you can think they don’t deserve a chance to compete. 
 

Perhaps there should be early stage qualifiers like the fa cup to limit the games and raise the standard... but there must always be a route in for each country. 

If that was the case there's no way those two would end up in the preliminaries for much longer.

[Strokes]

International football should be for amateurs only, it shouldn’t be part of the professional game.

 

[whoareyaaa]

Not a bad idea having them over 2 period saves all this stop start we get and pointless matches .. there should just be a world cup every 3 years scrap all other tournaments like euros afcon Copa America etc 

[jayfox26]

1 hour ago, Strokes said:

International football should be for amateurs only, it shouldn’t be part of the professional game.

 

Genuinely think when we play the likes of Andorra etc that we should only use players from the championship and below. 

[Lambert09]

2 hours ago, FoxyLeon said:

 

They're given opportunities to qualify, are they not?

Where have you got the idea that I've said they don't deserve a chance at all?

 

I guess we've got to make Football snowflake friendly now too though.

Maybe we should just give a free auto qualification spot for the worst performing side?

Well you replied to a post about me finding it annoying when people suggest getting rid of the qualifiers 

 

You’re acting like I’m claiming San Marino should get automatic World Cup qualification. 
 

 

[FoxyLeon]

1 minute ago, Lambert09 said:

Well you replied to a post about me finding it annoying when people suggest getting rid of the qualifiers 

 

You’re acting like I’m claiming San Marino should get automatic World Cup qualification. 
 

 

 

All teams that get out of the group stage at the Euros, should be given automatic qualification for the World Cup.....

Or something similar anyway.

Maybe just Quarter finalists?

 

We don't need Euros qualifiers and World Cup qualifiers, just to find out that San Marino/Andorra/Gibraltar are still not competitive. 

[Chrysalis]

Hes right with the idea to reduce international breaks, but wrong to increase international competition.

 

The season gets fragmented by a international break every few weeks, the season should have no international breaks, it would then finish over a month earlier, and that extra month at end of season should be the qualifiers.  There should be no breaks at all for friendlies.

[Foxxed]

Replace the Euros with another World Cup? Group the international breaks?

 

Sounds good. I’m in.

 

The only decent counter argument is that it devalues the World Cup: more winner reduces its scarcity.

 

And fans can cope better with mini breaks than with larger ones.

But I still think I’d prefer the variety of football and teams in another World Cup compared with the Euros.

 

And it pisses me off that just as I’m getting used to football again yet another international break crops up seemingly out of the blue.

You could argue it’s nice to have a regional competition but I’d prefer to watch a global competition instead.

 

Edited 4 September 2021 by Foxxed

[TheStig]

International football is losing its appeal to "the masses" and UEFA and FIFA seem desperately trying to keep it alive somehow. National leagues, cup tournaments, European tournaments etc. leaves very little time for international matches. At both the World Cup and the EURO´s there are way too many inferior teams making it boring and predictable. And players that have already played in the region of 50-60 matches in the season are prone to injuries and get very little rest. Think of Vardy who forfeited international duty and probably prolonged his career by a couple of years. Its all about money with no - or very little regard for players and fans.. Oh - and I´d hate an international break of 4-5 weeks......

 

[CosbehFox]

On 04/09/2021 at 17:02, NasPb said:

Personally the problem imo is european qualifiers. Who on this earth wants to see Gibraltar, san marino, etc. African and aouth American qualifiers are much more competitive and interesting. Sure Europe has the top teams but there is a massive difference between the best and the worst. Europe has too many spots at the world cup anyways. Asia as well. Africa way too few. 

It’s only as far we know. 
 

Africa and Asia have multiple stages to their qualification process which includes a lot of wasteful games 

[OntarioFox]

34 minutes ago, TheStig said:

International football is losing its appeal to "the masses" and UEFA and FIFA seem desperately trying to keep it alive somehow. National leagues, cup tournaments, European tournaments etc. leaves very little time for international matches. At both the World Cup and the EURO´s there are way too many inferior teams making it boring and predictable. And players that have already played in the region of 50-60 matches in the season are prone to injuries and get very little rest. Think of Vardy who forfeited international duty and probably prolonged his career by a couple of years. Its all about money with no - or very little regard for players and fans.. Oh - and I´d hate an international break of 4-5 weeks......

 

There is definitely growth in interest in it out here in Canada as the national team improves and gains recognisable stars, but let's be real, no kid on the playground is growing up excited about the prospect of a World Cup in Qatar.

I actually think we'll see an uptick in interest for internationals again when 2026 rolls out. Mexico goes without saying, but the other two nations hosting are all way more into footy than people think.

The back pocket of FIFA and UEFA are the problem. I still find them trying to paint themselves as the "good guys" during the ESL breakaway attempt laughable. They were merely the lesser of two evils in a sport utterly devoid of direction at the governing level. It's hard to sell a product to the new generation when you are so transparently out-of-touch and corrupt that it's laughable.

[TheStig]

2 minutes ago, OntarioFox said:

There is definitely growth in interest in it out here in Canada as the national team improves and gains recognisable stars, but let's be real, no kid on the playground is growing up excited about the prospect of a World Cup in Qatar.

I actually think we'll see an uptick in interest for internationals again when 2026 rolls out. Mexico goes without saying, but the other two nations hosting are all way more into footy than people think.

The back pocket of FIFA and UEFA are the problem. I still find them trying to paint themselves as the "good guys" during the ESL breakaway attempt laughable. They were merely the lesser of two evils in a sport utterly devoid of direction at the governing level. It's hard to sell a product to the new generation when you are so transparently out-of-touch and corrupt that it's laughable.

With respect. Canada is not known for its interesting and competitive football league - and I am of the opinion that the stronger the leagues are adn the larger crowds and high quality football is played the more one is inclined to follow "your team". Have a look at the comments in here when the international breaks come up. Very few are interested and most loathe the breaks. Many international games are played at half-empty stadiums so I am not with you on the growth in interest. Agree of course with the FIFA and UEFA comments...

[OntarioFox]

39 minutes ago, TheStig said:

With respect. Canada is not known for its interesting and competitive football league - and I am of the opinion that the stronger the leagues are adn the larger crowds and high quality football is played the more one is inclined to follow "your team". Have a look at the comments in here when the international breaks come up. Very few are interested and most loathe the breaks. Many international games are played at half-empty stadiums so I am not with you on the growth in interest. Agree of course with the FIFA and UEFA comments...

Yeah, that kind of proves the point - it's about appealing to new and growing markets where fanbases aren't growing jaded with the existing product. For the likes of FIFA this is an opportunity rather than an existential threat to internationals.

International football is going nowhere. It's just how it appeals to nations where it's already established that poses a problem.

I'm not necessarily against some of Wenger's suggestions, but I do sometimes roll my eyes at the Euro-Centric, or even England-Centric viewpoint many hold on the international game in this forum and beyond. I totally get it as someone who themselves has way more interest in Leicester than I do England, but if what UEFA toe-curlingly refer to as "legacy fans" are going to act like it doesn't even matter, don't be surprised when the governing bodies turn around and turn it into a product more marketable to growing markets like the US, Canada and Far East.

Edited 5 September 2021 by OntarioFox

[NasPb]

with due respect to canada whos interest is clearly growing, (i was in montreal a feew years back and north africans along with other inmigrant communities and obviously quebecois have taken massive interest, which is normal, especially giving my paisanos haha) The USA, Qatar, and probably future host shouldnt be host till they have some passion. plenty of nations would kill for a world cup, but i dont see how it is fair to have the us have it when they dont even have relegation. next will be china probably. sad state of affairs.

4 minutes ago, OntarioFox said:

Yeah, that kind of proves the point - it's about appealing to new and growing markets where fanbases aren't growing jaded with the existing product. For the likes of FIFA this is an opportunity rather than an existential threat to internationals.

International football is going nowhere. It's just how it appeals to nations where it's already established that poses a problem.

I'm not necessarily against some of Wenger's suggestions, but I do sometimes roll my eyes at the Euro-Centric, or even England-Centric viewpoint many hold on the international game in this forum and beyond. I totally get it as someone who themselves has way more interest in Leicester than I do England, but if what UEFA toe-curlingly refer to as "legacy fans" are going to act like it doesn't even matter, don't be surprised when the governing bodies turn around and turn it into a product more marketable to growing markets like the US, Canada and Far East.

 

[AjcW]

On 03/09/2021 at 16:34, The People's Hero said:

I'm a fan; you basically just do away with the continental international cup; ie the EUROS. Let's just have a World Cup every 2 years. Why not?

 

 

If you read it again he says there would be a World Cup & a cup for each confederation, every two years. That implies there would be a World Cup followed by a Euros  

 

and then at the end of the season to have a World Cup and a championship for each confederation every two years.

[MarriedaLeicesterGirl]

Instead of a World Cup every two years, the should have a regular World Cup and a pure knockout tournament, maybe with the Round of 16 teams from the previous World Cup given a bye. The tournament would be played during regular international breaks, with only the Final Four at a neutral finals venue.

[sylofox]

On 03/09/2021 at 16:39, hackneyfox said:

Where would UEFA get their money from?

Champions league Europa and the new piss pot league that spuds are proud founder members of 😂😂😂😂

[RonnieTodger]

They said England have played 22 games in the last 12 months, which is insane. Obviously our run in the Euros accounts for 7 of those games.

 

For UEFA, there should be a preliminary round for the lesser nations. They do it in all the other continents and it would do away with so many daft games. 

 

England having both San Marino and Andorra in the same group is laughable. Four pointless games.

[Muzzy_Larsson]

Wenger is an old tit. My dislike for him now seems justified now that he has resigned himself to being Infantino's mouthpiece.

[Finnegan]

6 hours ago, Muzzy_Larsson said:

Wenger is an old tit. My dislike for him now seems justified now that he has resigned himself to being Saudi Arabia's mouthpiece.

 

[Stadt]

If anything it'd be better if the cycle was longer, say every 5 years instead of every 4. Condense the qualifiers into a lesser number of international breaks so there are just far fewer breaks.

[RowlattsFox]

Not sure why Wenger gives a shit about the football calendar. Probably got an international job offer and just wants to manage at more world cups. 

[David Hankey]

Wtf have you heard this? Why haven't we heard about this before?!!