UEFA may increase EURO from 16 to 24 teams

Almost all football fans agree with FIFA president Sepp Blatter that there are too many football matches constantly being played - so many matches that the majority of fans cannot afford the price of the tickets, nor find the time to attend all the matches they would like to see.

Blatter has said again and again that he would like the top division of every major football league to consist of no more than 16 clubs.

Managers grumble that their players do not get enough rest or recovery time between matches while the players complain about fatigue and career-threatening injuries brought about by playing too many matches.

Despite all the complaints, UEFA will discuss at next week's UEFA Congress in Duesseldorf the need to conduct a study to determine if the European Championship should increase the number of teams from 16 to 24.

If the proposal is accepted and the answers are right, then either the 2012 or 2016 European Championship could be made up of 24 finalists rather than 16.

UEFA would have to resolve the situation of countries that have already turned in bids to host the 2012 finals based on a 16-team final.

Italy, which hosted a four-club Euro final in 1968 and an eight-club final in 1980, is one competitor for the 2012 Championship. In addition, there are joint bids from Poland-Ukraine and Croatia-Hungary.

Since Italy hosted a 24-club World Cup in 1990, it could easily handle a 24-team competition in 2012, but there is no assurance that the joint bidders could handle twice the number of teams.

The decision on which country will host the event will be made in Cardiff on April 18 and it will be interesting to see whose opinion UEFA will canvass.

As the World Cups of 1982, 1986, 1990 and 1994 proved, a 24-team format does not necessarily make for a great playoff. Sixteen or 32-team rounds work on a far simpler principle than a 24-team event, which has the top two teams in each group reaching the final stage of the competition.

However, 24 clubs will be harder to whittle down to a winner with the number of matches and the time restraints having an enormous bearing on the set-up of the competition.

Adjusting the regulations to determine which team will go to the next round can also turn out false results.

Although a 24-team contest would increase the number of matches, along with demands on the players, UEFA may have a hidden agenda.

Europe's governing body has 52 member associations with just under half that could participate in a 24-team final.

It would be very easy for UEFA to drop the long-drawn out qualifying groups, and after eliminating four teams, pitch the remaining 48 countries against each other.

They could play home and away legs with the collective winners competing in the finals.

In one shot, UEFA could cut hundreds of matches, have the finals every year and earn large amounts of money from television.

The fact that the fans would not be interested in the contest would not matter because it would guarantee fewer football matches for the players and less expense for the fans.

Source: euFootball.BIZ © Copyright 2006 - All rights reserved.