Much has been made almost the various tournament formats, too format changes, which take go a fixture of the football word wheel over recent weeks. In typical South American way, specially when involving Argentina, the novel Copa América format (only the ii groups of 5 teams, where only ii teams will be eliminated) is to proceed, despite the invited nations of Qatar in addition to Australia withdrawing from the tournament. The UEFA Conference League brings more chaos to the coefficient system as well as qualifying rounds amongst teams from UEFA’s mid-ranking leagues. There remains scepticism of the novel Euros format of 24 teams, amongst defensive football game pre-eminent at Euro 2016 amongst third placed sides potentially going through. Most of all, the recent propositions to modify the Champions League format to include fifty-fifty more than pointless group stage games seems a shoo-inward, in another vulgar endeavour from Europe’s elite to plow the Champions League into an exclusive society, if it isn’t already in that location.
However, ane past tournament where the format caused serious issues was the 1982 World Cup, frequently remembered as the greatest World Cup, equally discussed inward a previous piece for . Not likewise much so amongst the literal format, involving ii group stages, famously shafting England later on unfairly ending upwardly in a moment-round grouping with hosts Kingdom of Spain and West FRG. The latter were ane of many incredible sides at the tournament: perchance the best side never to win a World Cup in Brazil’second ’82 iteration; Bearzot’s Italian Republic; and a novel moving ridge France- whom West Germany played in 1 of, if non the, greatest games of the tournament, inward an epic semi-final.
(All pictures borrowed too non owned past TFHB)