Euro 2016

What a farce it could be.

Just been reading the wiki page for the new format that accommodates 24 teams instead of 16.

There will be a total of 51 games instead of 31 under the 16 team format.

6 groups of 4 with the top 2 in each group qualifying for the KO stage and the 4 best 3rd placed teams also making it out the group.

Not only will the qualifying rounds for the tournament be fairly dull but in all likelihood so will the group stages.

36 group games to sit through (71% of total games) where only 8 teams will be eliminated.

It's feasible that a team could progress as one of the four best 3rd placed teams having obtained 2 draws and not even won a group game.

Also, group A,B,C and D winners get to play the 3rd place teams whilst group E, F, G, and H play 2nd placed teams. Not really fair.

Just can't see this format being interesting until the KO stages when there is only 15 games left.

The positive is that every game in the group stages should have some value and so the last round of group games may be more interesting.

Negatives are that the first 2 games may be more cautious.

I really don't like teams competing against teams in other groups, tournament football should involve teams in the same group only.
Uefa don't seem to have realised that as each group completes its matches the next group gets an advantage as the teams in the groups that finish later (e,f,g,h) will know how the 3rd place teams in a,b,c and d did.


I know a team should not plan their tournament around finishing 3rd in the group and if they miss out it's their own fault but I think this format will be detrimental to the overall entertainment of the competition during the group stages.

Thoughts?