What's the future of the Confederations Cup?

[Century's Best]

If there is any tournament which is truly unnecessary, it's this one. In theory it makes sense to gather all the federations' champions, especially because you never know if all these champions will qualify for the following World Cup. However, how much prestige does it really carry?

I for one would not mind if it was discontinued. UEFA and national federations in Europe aren't too fond of this tournament - as they are not fond of the FIFA Club World Championship. In fact, it becomes clearer every season that UEFA and its member clubs and federations only give serious weight to the World Cup, the European Championships, the Champions' League, and the UEFA Cup.

Does anyone here see this tournament really living any longer? What else do we need? I'm fine with the World Cup, the Youth and U-17 World Cups, and the official women's tournaments. Other than that, UEFA and CONMEBOL club and NT tournaments are already more than enough.

[El Cabrito]

If there is any tournament which is truly unnecessary, it's this one. In theory it makes sense to gather all the federations' champions, especially because you never know if all these champions will qualify for the following World Cup. However, how much prestige does it really carry?

I for one would not mind if it was discontinued. UEFA and national federations in Europe aren't too fond of this tournament - as they are not fond of the FIFA Club World Championship. In fact, it becomes clearer every season that UEFA and its member clubs and federations only give serious weight to the World Cup, the European Championships, the Champions' League, and the UEFA Cup.

Does anyone here see this tournament really living any longer? What else do we need? I'm fine with the World Cup, the Youth and U-17 World Cups, and the official women's tournaments. Other than that, UEFA and CONMEBOL club and NT tournaments are already more than enough.

Australia has to play sometime...

[smith07]

i believe it is going to be held in germany in 2005 Greece, Brazil, Australia, and others will be attedning

[mexicano]

i believe it is going to be held in germany in 2005 Greece, Brazil, Australia, and others will be attedningGreece (UEFA Champion)
Brazil (WC champion and Copa America Champion)
Mexico (Gold Cup Champion)
Germany (Host)
Australia
japan (i think)
and some African team. not sure which one

[Andy TAUS]

Greece (UEFA Champion)
Brazil (WC champion and Copa America Champion)
Mexico (Gold Cup Champion)
Germany (Host)
Australia
japan (i think)
and some African team. not sure which onemexicano,

The H&A 2005 Confederations Cup competition in Oceania between Australia & the Solomon Islands have not been played yet.

I'd suggest that until these games were actually played (OCT 9 & 13, 2004) then nominating either team is a little premature.

Anything can happen, as New Zealand can attest.

Chers.

[mexicano]

mexicano,

The H&A 2005 Confederations Cup competition in Oceania between Australia & the Solomon Islands have not been played yet.

I'd suggest that until these games were actually played (OCT 9 & 13, 2004) then nominating either team is a little premature.

Anything can happen, as New Zealand can attest.

Chers.

oooooooooohhhhhhhh, my bad, like Australia is usually the one that goes, oh well, oooooppppppssssss!!!!!

[Andy TAUS]

If there is any tournament which is truly unnecessary, it's this one. In theory it makes sense to gather all the federations' champions, especially because you never know if all these champions will qualify for the following World Cup. However, how much prestige does it really carry?

I for one would not mind if it was discontinued. UEFA and national federations in Europe aren't too fond of this tournament - as they are not fond of the FIFA Club World Championship. In fact, it becomes clearer every season that UEFA and its member clubs and federations only give serious weight to the World Cup, the European Championships, the Champions' League, and the UEFA Cup.

Does anyone here see this tournament really living any longer? What else do we need? I'm fine with the World Cup, the Youth and U-17 World Cups, and the official women's tournaments. Other than that, UEFA and CONMEBOL club and NT tournaments are already more than enough.Century's Best,

I bet you all the tea in China that you wouldn't be making this post if your team was NOT part of CONMEBOL or UEFA, but from one of the other FIFA confederations like mine (OCEANIA).

Open your eyes & mind as the world (and world football) is somewhat larger and more encompassing than Europe plus Brazil & Argentina.

The fast-looming Athens Olympics should more than point that very fact out to you.

:rolleyes:

[Saviola7]

IMO, as much as UEFA complains about it, I think the confed cup is a nice little dry run for the world cup. A little meaningless perhaps, but it tests a lot of the facilities and planning, etc. Maybe if they keep the format simple so that it's not such a bit fitness deal ...

I like the idea of the world club cup in principle ... I mean, it'd be significantly more interesting (to me) than say the Champion's World Series ...

[mexicano]

argentina is also going

[Caesar]

Greece (UEFA Champion)
Brazil (WC champion and Copa America Champion)
Mexico (Gold Cup Champion)
Germany (Host)
Australia
japan (i think)
and some African team. not sure which one Brasil (WC Winners)
Germany (Host)
Mexico (GC Winners)
Tunisia (CoN Winners)
Greece (EC Winners)
China or Japan (AC Winners)
Australia or Solomon Islands (OC Winners)
Argentina (CA Runners Up)

[mexicano]

Brasil (WC Winners)
Germany (Host)
Mexico (GC Winners)
Tunisia (CoN Winners)
Greece (EC Winners)
China or Japan (AC Winners)
Australia or Solomon Islands (OC Winners)
Argentina (CA Runners Up)
this is what i ment to say :D

[Century's Best]

Century's Best,

I bet you all the tea in China that you wouldn't be making this post if your team was NOT part of CONMEBOL or UEFA, but from one of the other FIFA confederations like mine (OCEANIA).

Open your eyes & mind as the world (and world football) is somewhat larger and more encompassing than Europe plus Brazil & Argentina.

The fast-looming Athens Olympics should more than point that very fact out to you.

:rolleyes:

My, a trash talker from down under?

LOL

And I'm sure you believe the Confederations Cup is so very important - despite the crowded soccer calendar all federations have.

[Caesar]

Benefits -

1) Roughly $1,000,000 to each team that qualifies. For some national associations, this is reasonable money.
2) For confederations with less prestigious regional championships, an added incentive for the powers to take them seriously despite the fact they have no effect on WCQ.
3) Every second CC, an opportunity to test out the football facilities prepared for the following year's WC finals. Even if there was no Confederations Cup, there would be a similar tournament arranged by the host country as a dry run.
4) For the other CCs, a chance to test potential WC hosts with a view to assessing their future bids.
5) An opportunity for the best teams in each confederation to test themselves against the sort of opposition from around the world they will meet at the WC, in a competitive environment, in a day and age where friendlies are often contested by B teams due to pressures from clubs. This is especially important for confederations that lack real competitiveness within themselves.
6) An opportunity for FIFA to test potential law modifications and other changes that could be instituted at future World Cups (eg, last CC was used to try out microphone communication between referees).
7) Each country competing participates in an intensive development programme run by FIFA's Technical Committee. Each country is provided with a 60 page technical report outlining strengths, weaknesses, areas for improvement and analysing each match in minute detail.
8) Use by FIFA as the selection trials to identify potential referees for the next WC.

There's plenty more reasons, but they're probably the most notable. The solution to the 'crowded soccer calender' would perhaps be to ditch the money-spinning junkets that the big clubs take in summer.

[Saviola7]

Benefits -

1) Roughly $1,000,000 to each team that qualifies. For some national associations, this is reasonable money.
2) For confederations with less prestigious regional championships, an added incentive for the powers to take them seriously despite the fact they have no effect on WCQ.
3) Every second CC, an opportunity to test out the football facilities prepared for the following year's WC finals. Even if there was no Confederations Cup, there would be a similar tournament arranged by the host country as a dry run.
4) For the other CCs, a chance to test potential WC hosts with a view to assessing their future bids.
5) An opportunity for the best teams in each confederation to test themselves against the sort of opposition from around the world they will meet at the WC, in a competitive environment, in a day and age where friendlies are often contested by B teams due to pressures from clubs. This is especially important for confederations that lack real competitiveness within themselves.
6) An opportunity for FIFA to test potential law modifications and other changes that could be instituted at future World Cups (eg, last CC was used to try out microphone communication between referees).
7) Each country competing participates in an intensive development programme run by FIFA's Technical Committee. Each country is provided with a 60 page technical report outlining strengths, weaknesses, areas for improvement and analysing each match in minute detail.
8) Use by FIFA as the selection trials to identify potential referees for the next WC.

There's plenty more reasons, but they're probably the most notable. The solution to the 'crowded soccer calender' would perhaps be to ditch the money-spinning junkets that the big clubs take in summer.


Agreed, but since UEFA and AFC don't produce champions every 2 years, I think that a world club championship should happen the year after the WC and the Confed cup should happen a year before the WC.

[ferx203]

1.- To play all Confederation Championships by 4 years and Confederations Cup too. The Championships in the olympic years (2004, 2008, 2012) and Confederations Cup to next year (2007, 2011, 2015).

2.- The six champions don´t play WC qualifying rounds. Replaces that by direct qualification to playoffs (november 2009, 2013, 2017) with another six teams who don´t qualify directly to World Cup.

3.- The number of games of the champions doesn´t increase because the teams doesn´t play qualifying rounds to WC.

[Teso Dos Bichos]

Scrap it. There should only be the World Cup and a regional tournament. That is it. Put more empthasis on the lower age tournaments (ie, under-21s) instead. Enforce a world football calander and everything will be sorted. :cool:

[Andy TAUS]

Scrap it. There should only be the World Cup and a regional tournament. That is it. Put more empthasis on the lower age tournaments (ie, under-21s) instead. Enforce a world football calendar and everything will be sorted. :cool:So how does one then enforce the calendar on the clubs, especially the G14 ? Not so :cool: !

In UEFA, why is there both a UEFA Champions League & a UEFA Cup? Isn't this an unnecessary cynical duplication by UEFA? Scrap all the other nonsensical internal "Cups" in the various national FA's as well, then you're actually starting to address some of the real issues.

[Teso Dos Bichos]

So how does one then enforce the calendar on the clubs, especially the G14 ? Not so :cool: !

In UEFA, why is there both a UEFA Champions League & a UEFA Cup? Isn't this an unnecessary cynical duplication by UEFA? Scrap all the other nonsensical internal "Cups" in the various national FA's as well, then you're actually starting to address some of the real issues.

FIFA is already looking to implement a world calender to bring everything into line. Therefore stopping the farce of the African Cup of Nations taking place in the middle of the domestic season amongst others. G14 supported it last time I heard. This would also include a break of some sort.

That is an interesting concept. I say we scrap the Confederations Cup, Uefa Cup, Inter-Toto Cup and the domestic league cups. Put more empthasis on youth tournaments. Reduce the CL to a max of two teams per country. Replace the Uefa Cup with the Cup Winners Cup.

Clubs should only be involved in 3 tournaments per season. Nations should only be involved in 1. Problem solved.

Fire Blatter. Start the reforms!

[RichardL]

. The solution to the 'crowded soccer calender' would perhaps be to ditch the money-spinning junkets that the big clubs take in summer.
They are just pre-season games. They don't play any more pre-season games now than they used to, and they aren't starting pre-season any earlier to get ready for those games. It's just that tops clubs have realised they can make money playing pre-season games in Asia or wherever, rather than playing a tour of Torquay, Exeter, Weymouth etc.

Unless you are suggesting clubs should be banned from playing pre-season matches, I can't see what difference it would make.

[RichardL]

FIFA is already looking to implement a world calender to bring everything into line. Therefore stopping the farce of the African Cup of Nations taking place in the middle of the domestic season amongst others. G14 supported it last time I heard. This would also include a break of some sort.

the African Nations Cup takes place at the time it does because for much of the continent it would be far to hot to play any daytime games in the summer. If a club signs an African player then they know what can happen. It's their choice whether to sign the player or not, knowing they could miss him for two months every couple of years or so.


That is an interesting concept. I say we scrap the Confederations Cup, Uefa Cup, Inter-Toto Cup and the domestic league cups. Put more empthasis on youth tournaments. Reduce the CL to a max of two teams per country. Replace the Uefa Cup with the Cup Winners Cup.

In a lot of countries, most of them in fact, the national cup is not that important and never has been. It is far fairer to reward league success as the UEFA Cup. Personally I can't see why they scrapped the Cup Winners Cup. With the amount of teams now in the UEFA Cup it'd make sense to go back to having 3 european competitions. And yes, there should not be 3 or 4 teams from one country in the CL, but as the champions league was set up as a money-making exercise, there's no chance of them scrapping that.

It's worth noting that only about 0.001% of players in the inter toto cup will every be in a position to suffer burn-out at a major tournament finals. I can assure you that the quality of play in Germany in 2006 will not noticeably improve if we ban the 4th placed team in Albania from trying to qualify for the UEFA Cup.