By Andrew Warshaw
February 1 – UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin says he would never have organised such a convulated pan-European tournament for 2020 and has issued a veiled attack on his predecessor Michel Platini for doing so.
In an interview with Argentine newspaper La Nación, Ceferin made it clear that such a complex format will never happen again – at least while he is in the job.
“To be honest, I think it’s a complicated challenge,” said Ceferin. “In the future we will not do it again, but it was decided before I was elected. We have 12 countries, 12 legislations, four or five currencies. Some will have to fly from Baku to Dublin, which is like Dublin to New York, but much more complicated.”
Ceferin says the potential absence of non-qualified countries hosting various stages of the finals is not ideal. “Imagine a Copa Libertadores in Argentina without Argentine teams!”
With the centenary World Cup in 2030 possibly going to Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, Ceferin re-iterated his belief that it is by no means a foregone conclusion and that Europe might put up a rival, specifically mentioning England.
“It’s a nice attempt, but we have to see if England comes. If it does, I as president of UEFA have to support it. China, for example, cannot be presented because the same confederation can’t host for the subsequent two World Cup and Qatar will be the venue in 2022 ”
Ceferin has made no secret of UEFA’s new Nations League, which starts in September, expanding eventually to involve other confederations. UEFA has already “initiated” talks with FIFA and the regions and Ceferin told La Nacion: “It’s a good project, but it’s still in the preliminary phase. The idea would be to play something like this once every two years. ”
“Friendlies no longer have the same meaning, weight and value as before. We had to do something. What we want is to create a competition between European and South American countries”
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1714020170labto1714020170ofdlr1714020170owedi1714020170sni@w1714020170ahsra1714020170w.wer1714020170dna1714020170