04 December 2014
UEFA has set up a new Nations League to make the most of international friendly windows, and its Secretary-General also says they're 'fed up' with FIFA crises
Their meetings might not normally spark our attention, but yesterday’s UEFA Executive Committee meeting did for two reasons.
First, they announced the establishment of the new Nations League established in response to their member associations’ concern about the lack of competitive matches in some international friendly windows. The first UEFA Nations League qualifiers are to be played just two months after the World Cup in 2018 with the semi-finals and finals to be played in June 2019.
The reaction of clubs and players from top international sides who will see another off-season disappear is not yet known. However, the new competition along with Euro qualifiers and the Euro tournament, will make it increasingly difficult for non-European national teams to play the top European national teams in friendlies – such as Germany arranging friendlies with Australia and the USA next year.
Second, the Secretary-General of UEFA, Gianni Infantino, told Reuters that UEFA is ‘fed up’ with FIFA and its serial crises.
“We have to make sure we run and organise our confederation in the best and most professional and most democratic possible way,” he said.
While Infantino said there was no discussion about recent calls to boycott FIFA, he did add that he thought it was best to publish the Garcia report because, without it, “nobody really knows” what’s in it, or not.