Football (Soccer) Thread

[Duque de Bragança]

Champions League has got boring in the last 15 years if not more, with more or less the top 6-8 teams, repeatedly offering the same match-ups from the group phase.

Tactically and technically, the best play level is there but if judging by the passion around, not so.

[Valmy]

Nice win against Honduras. That is more like it.

I hope they get their heads on straight or they will be watching the World Cup on TV again.

[Jacob]

Denmark - Israel was a nice match from a Danish perspective

[Jacob]

On the World-Cup-Every-Two-Years, it seems it's mostly been endorsed by the African FA, as well as the FAs of Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Thailand, Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Nepal.

Makes me feel like this is a case of "hey we typically don't qualify, but we make money on the World Cup so sure - let's have more World Cups."

Personally I think if FIFA institutes a biannual World Cup the European and South American FAs should boycott every other one.

[Valmy]

I agree. If we had biannual World Cups the tournament would quickly take over soccer and I feel that would be overall very bad for the sport.

[Sheilbh]

Worth noting that FIFA has actually basically taken over the African federation and is stuffing it with Infantino loyalists - so not a wild suprise there. Philippe Auclair's been in excellent outraged form on this especially on the Guardian podcast.

And I don't think you're being cynical enough. I think this isn't even about qualifying it's because the World Cup is FIFA's money-maker so if they have more they make more money which FIFA can then distribute to member federations (like Nepal and Sri Lanka) to develop the game. The idea of using global competitions to pay for the development of football around the world is a really, really good one but this version of it is the worst.

Apparently FIFA's goal is WC every other year and in between a Club World Cup (there's a lot of rumours that FIFA is mainly using this plan to get leverage on especially UEFA to get behind an expanded Club World Cup). Again there is a player welfare issue here - if they're a European player in a big club they'd do the money-spinning pre-season tour of the US/China, the regular season, the expanded Champions' League, the Club World Cup (and the Euros) or the World Cup. That's not sustainable or healthy no matter how much money they're paid.

My understanding is that sadly it might actually hit African football the worst because the African Cup of Nations is growing in popularity and revenue and allowing runs for countries who are sort of Africa's middle-ranked football countries. Those countries would be unlikely to qualify even for an expanded World Cup. At least according to journalists they'd probably lose the most money with this plus a Club World Cup.

It's amazing - are FIFA even worse post Blatter?

[Josquius]

The fifa /uefa thing is truly bizzare this past few years.
You'd think logically uefa would simply be a sub-division of fifa. But no. Its a completely different organisation with overlapping areas of interest and a pretty nasty rivalry.

Sounds interesting about fifa conquering Africa. Shall have to read about this.

[FunkMonk]

I'm going to go out on a limb and be supportive of biannual World Cups. The current system is just going to get expanded on forever. 2 tournaments every 4 years is a good compromise between having 64-team tournaments and expanding the possibilities to qualify to play in the World Cup. The continental tournaments are basically meaningless outside of Europe and South America and should honestly be gotten rid of, and those two are terrible football associations anyway. FIFA is not any better, of course, but I think this proposal is better for the global game in the long run. Also, Arsene Knows.

[Duque de Bragança]

You'll get 2 WC tournaments every 4 years, 2 EC every four years and the 64-team for the WC eventually. Just be patient. 
You may get a yearly Copa América though, who knows. 

[FunkMonk]

You'll get 2 WC tournaments every 4 years, 2 EC every four years and the 64-team for the WC eventually. Just be patient. 
You may get a yearly Copa América though, who knows. 

Trust Arsene. Wenger knows.

[Duque de Bragança]

You'll get 2 WC tournaments every 4 years, 2 EC every four years and the 64-team for the WC eventually. Just be patient. 
You may get a yearly Copa América though, who knows. 

Trust Arsene. Wenger knows.

[FunkMonk]

 

[Threviel]

I recently listened to a football history podcast on the Greeks in 2004. Apparently Arsene Wenger was the only big soccer profile that warned of the Greeks before the tournament.

[Maladict]

Apparently Arsene Wenger was the only big soccer profile that warned of the Greeks before the tournament.

Laocoon was an underrated striker. Always trying to get into the box like his life depended on it.

[Sheilbh]

I recently listened to a football history podcast on the Greeks in 2004. Apparently Arsene Wenger was the only big soccer profile that warned of the Greeks before the tournament.

Is this a bit like how he almost signed every great player before they became big?

I love Wenger though