The Union of European Football Associations has officially submitted the final version of the rules and regulations of the new football tournament - the League of Nations of UEFA.
This will be the first tournament for national teams in the league format, in which teams representing all 55 UEFA associations will compete with equal-rated rivals. The tournament is designed to replace most of the friendly matches of the national teams with the official ones and will allow them to play with equal teams in the class.
Teams will distribute in four leagues (A, B, C and D) according to their ranking at the end of the European qualification of the 2018 World Cup. Matches will be held at home and on the road in September-November 2018 (each team will hold four or six games depending on the size of the group).
The winners of four league A groups will reach the final stage, which will be held in June 2019. It will consist of semi-finals, a match for third place and the final. Winners of groups of leagues B, C and D will receive an increase in the class. The worst teams in groups of leagues A, B and C will fly to the lower league.
Thus, the European teams will fight either for the victory in the League of Nations, or for entering the division higher, or for retaining a place in their division. The tournament will give an additional opportunity to enter the final stage of the European Championship for a number of national teams. Thus, four participants of the Euro-2020 will be determined in the play-offs with the participation of 16 winners of the League of Nations of UEFA. Winners of the playoffs get tickets to the Euro-2020.
The visual concept of the tournament displays the colors of the national flags of all 55 participants. The draw for the group stage of the League of Nations will be held on January 24, 2018 in Lausanne. Then they will present the trophy of the tournament. The first match of the new tournament is scheduled for September 6, 2018. It should be noted that the national team of Ukraine was in League B, where it will be in the second basket. Among the possible opponents: Austria, Wales, Slovakia, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Czech Republic, Turkey.