[RobtheAggie]

From UEFA:
"Following FIFA'S recent decision to retain a 32-team finals tournament for the World Cup, the UEFA Executive Committee said it proposed enlarging the qualifying groups for the 2006 tournament in Germany, in line with requests received from national associations.

The committee agreed a proposal for three groups of seven nations and five of six, from which the eight group winners will qualify automatically together with the two best runners-up. The remaining three places in UEFA's 13 qualifying slots for the finals will be decided by play-offs between the six other group runners-up.

He said the major European nations, including Italy, France, Spain and England, would most likely be seeded and separated among the groups of six."

How does this affect Switzerland and Austria? Is this a good thing or a bad one? The Euro Qualfying is a moot point because both nations qualify for Euro 2008.

The same principle, of trying to provide more meaningful games for the national associations, was applied to the qualifying system for the 2008 European finals to be hosted jointly by Austria and Switzerland.

This resulted in a proposed format based on one group of eight teams and six groups of seven to produce 14 qualifiers, the seven group winners and the seven runners-up. The two host nations make the total 16 teams in the finals.

[ferx203]

An idea for Euro 2008 Qualifying Rounds.

1.- For Euro 2008, Uefa needs 14 qualifiers. Without Austria & Switzerland, there are 50 teams for qualifying rounds.

2.- First Round : 10 groups of 5 teams. Qualify to Euro 10 first places.

3.- Ranking of 10 second places qualify the rankings 1 & 2. Rankings 3 to 10 qualify to playoffs.

4.- Playoffs in November 2007 in Austria & Switzerland.

- Matchday 1
a) Ranking 3 - Ranking 9 (Austria)
b) Ranking 5 - Ranking 7 (Austria)
c) Ranking 4 - Ranking 10 (Switzerland)
d) Ranking 6 - Ranking 8 (Switzerland)

- Matchday 2
e) Winner a - Winner b (Austria)
f) Winner c - Winner d (Switzerland)

- Winner e & Winner f qualify to Euro.

------------
16 teams for Euro 2008
- 2 hosts : Austria & Switzerland.
- 10 first places of groups.
- 2 best second places of groups.
- 2 winners of playoffs.
-----------

- Every team will play 8,9 or 10 games.
- Give chance to 20 teams for qualify (2 x 10 groups). With 8 or 9 groups the chance is only for 16 or 18.
- Playoffs will be like Pre-Euro for hosts.
- With more groups, To have 3 powerful teams in 1 group, with one of them out because only qualify two, is more difficult.

[HONDUGOL]

To complecated brotha.

How about this:

- 2 phases, phase 1 involving 22 less stronger teams playing 2 rounds of play off format until only 7 are left.

- 2nd phase, 28 stronger teams devided into 7 groups, add the 7 teams that qualify through playoff for a total of 35 teams, 5 in each group playing a round robin, the first two teams qualify to Euro 2008.

-This way u have 7 strong groups making it very interesting. unlike the 2006 WCQ groups where only the top 2 teams are worth a chance, in some groups u have 3 teams.

[ferx203]

Originally Posted by HONDUGOL

-This way u have 7 strong groups making it very interesting. unlike the 2006 WCQ groups where only the top 2 teams are worth a chance, in some groups u have 3 teams.

I like your idea, when reduce the qualify to 35 teams. But the system is more longer. 1º Round with 4 matchdays and 2º Round with 10. Total 14 matchdays.

-If you want reduce the teams, how about this.
First Round : 14 groups (8 groups with 4 teams and 6 groups with 3 teams). 1º & 2º qualify to Second Round.
Second Round : 7 groups of 4 teams (September-October-November 2007). 1º & 2º qualify to Euro 2008.

- Reduce the second round to 28 teams (very strong) and only use 12 matchdays.
- Without playoffs.