Euro 2020/2021

[The Larch]

By the way, whoever came up with the "4 of the best 3rd placed teams qualify for the knockout round" system deserves to be flogged. There's no way to do a proper speculative bracket this time.

That's how World Cups used to be from 1986 on. Of course Euros at the time had 2 x 4 teams. Not a fan of the participant inflation in recent years.

That was a good thing about having the WC go from 24 to 32 teams, no more "best 3rd" shenanigans.

With 24 teams I'd rather have 8 groups of 3 teams with the first two qualifying, but I guess that getting kicked out after only two matches is a bit underwhelming. 4 groups of 6 just makes for a far too long group stage.

[Syt]

Or you could just stick with 16 teams, at the risk of some "big" teams occasionally not qualifying. Or, if you MUST include them (and their advertising audiences), go with 32 teams, which will water down the quality of the tournament even more.

[The Larch]

Or you could just stick with 16 teams, at the risk of some "big" teams occasionally not qualifying. Or, if you MUST include them (and their advertising audiences), go with 32 teams, which will water down the quality of the tournament even more.

Oh yes, absolutely, for the Euro 16 teams (in 4 groups of 4 teams) would be ideal. I could even accept 20 teams (in 4 groups of 5 teams), but 24 makes the "best 3rd" system unavoidable. Going to 32 just makes the qualifying stage a bit of a farce, and it takes way too many hopeless teams into the tournament.

[Grey Fox]

What do you guys think of less teams (a return to 16) but more more often?

[Syt]

Or you could just stick with 16 teams, at the risk of some "big" teams occasionally not qualifying. Or, if you MUST include them (and their advertising audiences), go with 32 teams, which will water down the quality of the tournament even more.

Oh yes, absolutely, for the Euro 16 teams (in 4 groups of 4 teams) would be ideal. I could even accept 20 teams (in 4 groups of 5 teams), but 24 makes the "best 3rd" system unavoidable. Going to 32 just makes the qualifying stage a bit of a farce, and it takes way too many hopeless teams into the tournament.

This Wiki page has a nice overview of formats a bit further down: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_FIFA_World_Cup

I had forgotten that Spain 82 had 24 teams, too, but then moved to a second group stage.

[Syt]

What do you guys think of less teams (a return to 16) but more more often?

More often (every two or three years) would mean collision with FIFA World Cup, unless you switch to holding it in uneven years. Even then, having big tournaments in consecutive years (with qualifiers) might be too much of a strain for players who also compete with their clubs in leagues, international tournaments, cups, etc.

[The Larch]

You guys know there's a proposal being considered by FIFA to have a World Cup every two years, right? 

[The Larch]

Or you could just stick with 16 teams, at the risk of some "big" teams occasionally not qualifying. Or, if you MUST include them (and their advertising audiences), go with 32 teams, which will water down the quality of the tournament even more.

Oh yes, absolutely, for the Euro 16 teams (in 4 groups of 4 teams) would be ideal. I could even accept 20 teams (in 4 groups of 5 teams), but 24 makes the "best 3rd" system unavoidable. Going to 32 just makes the qualifying stage a bit of a farce, and it takes way too many hopeless teams into the tournament.

This Wiki page has a nice overview of formats a bit further down: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_FIFA_World_Cup

I had forgotten that Spain 82 had 24 teams, too, but then moved to a second group stage.

Spain 82's system of a 2nd group stage was a mess, no wonder it was immediately discarded.

Oh man, for the 2026 WC they'll actually do 16 groups of 3 teams.

[The Larch]

What do you guys think of less teams (a return to 16) but more more often?

More often (every two or three years) would mean collision with FIFA World Cup, unless you switch to holding it in uneven years. Even then, having big tournaments in consecutive years (with qualifiers) might be too much of a strain for players who also compete with their clubs in leagues, international tournaments, cups, etc.

Other continental competitions have weirder schedules. The Copa América is played in a very strange frequency. There's one this year, the last one was in 2019 and the next one is in 2024. They even played it two years in a row once (2015 and 2016). The Africa Cup is played every two years, and because they shifted to have it in odd years they also played two years in a row once (2012 and 2013).

[Maladict]

OTOH, it starts June 11th, not today.   

So there is still time to complete your Panini album. 

My golden 1988 album is going to be worth a fortune. If only I could find it.

[Syt]

I never finished any of my Panini albums (1984 - 1990 tournaments, plus Bundesliga).

[The Larch]

I never finished any of my Panini albums (1984 - 1990 tournaments, plus Bundesliga).

There were always 2 or 3 stickers that were almost impossible to find. The three I think I got the closest were Mexico 86, Italy 90 and USA 94. I don't think we got albums for the Euros, at least I don't remember them.

[Syt]

A couple years ago there was a book on sale with all Panini albums printed from the earliest World Cup they covered up till 2002 or 2006. I was tempted.

[Duque de Bragança]

I never finished any of my Panini albums (1984 - 1990 tournaments, plus Bundesliga).

There were always 2 or 3 stickers that were almost impossible to find. The two I think I got the closest were Mexico 86, Italy 90 and USA 94. I don't think we got albums for the Euros, at least I don't remember them.

There are. At least from 1984 on, possibly earlier.

[Duque de Bragança]

A couple years ago there was a book on sale with all Panini albums printed from the earliest World Cup they covered up till 2002 or 2006. I was tempted.

The one I got included all WC till 2014. 
There is probably a newer edition with the Russian edition included.