Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes that the UEFA Nations League should be scrapped as he proposes that the World Cup and Euros should be held every other year to adapt to a “modern world”.
As things stand, the World Cup and Euros are held every four years, with the next edition of the former set for 2022 while the latter will kick off next summer after being postponed due to the coronavirus.
The Nations League, meanwhile, was conceived by UEFA to give teams competitive matches in between those two events, with teams currently competing in the second edition of that tournament.
Portugal won the first Nations League crown, beating the Netherlands 1-0 in the final in June 2019 thanks to a goal from Valencia winger Goncalo Guedes in the 60th minute.
But Wenger, FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development since 2019, says that the average football fan does not care about or understand the Nations League.
Instead, Wenger says, the Euros and World Cup could be held every two years instead of every four, giving fans something to care about on the international stage.
“We need to get rid of the Nations League and find clearer events that everyone understands,” he told Bild. “If you ask people in the street what the Nations League is, you won’t find many able to explain it.
“We need to have as few events as possible,” he added. “One World Cup and one European Championship every other year would probably be more appropriate for a modern world.”
According to Wenger, all qualifying matches would be played in just one month, simplifying the process of selling rights to broadcasters and sponsors.
The Arsenal boss says that FIFA has already discussed the idea, and he rejected the notion that holding major tournaments more often would make them lose their lustre.
“I always tell people who say this that the image is not linked to the time you wait before playing again, but rather the quality of the competition,” he said. “After all, people also watch the Champions League every year.”
He added: “Personally, I think it would be a great step forward.”
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