Top 5 Press Conference Rants
“Fracasados.” That’s what the media in Argentina refer the current national football team as. It means “failures,” but with a much nastier, harsher edge to it… as you can imagine. To the neutral, it could seem rather unfair to label a country who have reached 3 major finals in 2 years’ failures, but with the quality of players the country has at its disposal, and arguably the best player ever to play the game in his prime, the frustration is somewhat understandable. Think of it this way, if they’re failures, what are England?!
The confrontation between the media and the players began following accusations that Ezequial Lavezzi had been smoking cannabis whilst on national team duty. Argentina’s entire 23-man squad, led by captain Lionel Messi, turned up for the press conference after the 3-0 win over Columbia to demand respect, and revealed no players would be answering questions, insisting a line had been crossed. In this article, we will be looking back at 5 of the most heated press conferences in football history.
5) – Nigel Pearson
Nigel Pearson produced one of the greatest and most bizarre rants of all time after this feisty confrontation with journalist Ian Baker. Following a gutsy 3-1 loss to Chelsea, Pearson was fed up with the amount of ‘criticism and negativity’ his players had to endure over the course of the season, and when asked to specify the criticism, he lost it, famously referring to Baker as ‘an ostrich.’
4) – Ian Holloway
In 2010, then Blackpool manager Ian Holloway fumed at the footballing authorities for ‘allowing Wayne Rooney to manufacture his exit from Manchester United.’ With Rooney reaching the age of 25 and the 1995 Bosman rule allowing players who are over the age of 24 to leave their current club at the end of their contract for free, Holloway believed it punished clubs unfairly.
3) – Rafa Benitez
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez famously produced a piece of paper with incidents involving Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson during this tense press conference in 2009. Liverpool were top of the league at the time, but Benitez criticized Ferguson about a
number of things, insisting United were nervous about the title race and that Ferguson was the only manager who could ‘talk about referees, and nothing happens.’
2) – Alberto Malesani
Furious Italian Alberto Malesani was managing Panathinaikos when he unleashed an outburst of anger towards the clubs’ fans and journalists. He pleaded with the fans for time and to trust the young squad he had assembled, but I’m not sure he went about it the right way. Malesani was unsurprisingly sacked at the end of the season.
1) – Giovanni Trappatoni
At number 1 is former Bayern Munich and Republic of Ireland manager Giovanni Trappatoni, who lost his temper at a press conference after 3 consecutive defeats and having all but conceded the Bundesliga title to Kaiserslautern. Trappatoni emphasised his fury at some players who had publicly criticised him, notoriously referring to them as ‘weak like an empty bottle.’
5 Negatives of the International Break
As we all watched England throw away a comfortable 2-0 lead with 2 last minute goals in a meaningless friendly at a sold out Wembley against Spain, I sat there for a second and thought to myself… what’s the point? Liverpool reject Iago Aspas scored arguably the best goal of his career literally out of nowhere, with Real Madrid benchwarmer Isco nutmegging Burnley’s number 1 in the 96th minute of the game to salvage a draw, but I couldn’t help but laugh at the absolute stereotypical England performance of recent years I had just witnessed. Despite 4 goals, the game was as cliché as international fixtures come – slow, boring and painful to watch. Here’s why we all hate the international break.
1) No Premier League football
As players are scattered all over the world, Premier League football is put on hold for a fortnight. It is the longest, most agonising 2 weeks as a football fan, as we’re forced to watch Newport versus Colchester in League 2 to satisfy our footballing addiction. Then, when Premier League football returns, our teams perform like it’s the first time they’ve ever played together, losing all the momentum built up in the previous weeks and are back to square one.
2) Terrible fixtures
Just as the domestic football season gets back underway, it’s halted 3 weekends later because of glamour fixtures such as Luxembourg vs. Ukraine, Montenegro vs. Faroe Islands, Lithuania vs. Macedonia that we all can’t wait to sit down and spend an hour and a half of our lives watching. How many times is it we’ve watched England sweep aside San Marino part-timers now?
3) Injuries
There can’t be a worse feeling in football than watching your teams star player clutching the back of his thigh on some horrifically dodgy pitch in West Africa as they’ve just pulled their hamstring lunging into a tackle, giving that extra 10% for their country just not to be slated in the national papers the next morning. Managers and fans hold their breath during international breaks, as club physio’s deal with the aftermath of dangerous surfaces and clumsy 6ft 7 part-time defenders when their stars return from all corners of the globe.
Embed from Getty Images4) Supporting players you hate
What was worse than England being pummeled out of Euro 2016 by a nation of just 300,000 people, was that we’d spent the past year painfully cheering on a team majorly dominated by Tottenham and Liverpool players; arguably 2 of the most disliked clubs in the country. Most fans couldn’t stand half of the players Hodgson had selected, yet we swallowed our pride because of our love for England, and this is how they repay us? Joke’s on us fans then really, as it was all an embarrassing waste of time and effort…
5) Fixture pile up
We all know the qualifying fixtures have to be played, but there is absolutely no need for friendlies mid-season. They clog up the fixture list and are nothing more than glorified training session. To combat fixture congestion, FIFA could open a window twice a year for nations to conduct the friendlies and qualifying matches which would not only spare clubs from risking their players, but would also enable national team managers to make their team gel in a relatively longer period than of a week they presently do. It would also reduce the unnecessary piling up of matches, and at the same time, keep players and fans excited for a run of international matches.
Embed from Getty ImagesSix Outrageous Transfers that Never Happened
Transfer windows are football fans’ favourite time of the year, where they anticipate their club can pull off the deal of a life time. Football is a game that can throw-up the occasional mouthwatering transfer story no one could predict in a million years and sometimes, these bizarre deals become a reality. Such as when relegation threatened West Ham signed 2 of Argentina’s most highly rated prospects in Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano back in 2006 and German giants Bayern Munich signed Tranmere Rovers winger Dale Jennings in 2011. Unfortunately, many ambitious bids are unsuccessful, so in this article, we look back at six outrageous transfers that, sadly for football, never happened.
6) Rivaldo to Bolton Wanderers
In 2001, Bolton manager Sam Allardyce offered Brazillian legend Rivaldo £1million a year in wages to join the Premier League club. However, representatives at Bolton became frustrated at Rivaldo’s indecisiveness and his reluctance to give the club a final answer. The World Cup and Ballon d’Or winner ended up signing for Olympiakos, with chairman Phil Gartside stating he was focusing on the ‘money side of the game, not football.’
5) Robert Lewandowski to Blackburn Rovers
Sam Allardyce almost pulled off another shock transfer, after a £4.2million bid for the Lech Poznan striker was accepted back in 2008. Unfortunately for the Lancashire club, the Icelandic ash cloud scuppered his flight to England and the Pole went on to sign for Borussia Dortmund.
4) Zinedine Zidane to Newcastle United and Blackburn Rovers
Agent Barry Silkman revealed Newcastle rejected the opportunity to sign Zidane from Bordeux for a measly £1.2million in 2001. The Frenchman signed for Juventus for the same price, before moving to Real Madrid for £48million just 2 years later. Blackburn were also in the hunt, but Rovers owner Jack Walker decided against the move, saying “Why do you want to sign Zidane when we have Tim Sherwood?”
Embed from Getty Images3) Steven Gerrard to Chelsea
During Euro 2004, Gerrard had decided to move to Chelsea and even texted manager Jose Mourinho to announce his decision. A bid in the region of £32million was reported to have been lined-up, but after an ear-bashing from his father and death threats sent to his family home, Gerrard turned his back on Chelsea and an extra £15million in wages to stay on Merseyside.
2) Neymar to West Ham United
In 2010, West Ham bid £16million for Santos wonder kid Neymar, which was followed by a £20million bid from Chelsea. Both bids were rejected by the Brazilian club, who sold him to Barcelona 2 years later for reportedly £71.5million. Imagine if West Ham had pulled that one off!
1) Ronaldinho to St. Mirren
In probably the most bizarre story of all time, Ronaldinho came extremely close to signing for Scottish club St. Mirren in 2001. Unfortunately, due to a fake passport scandal in Brazil and sluggishness on part of the Brazilian FA, the deal fell through in the last minute. What a story that would have been.
Embed from Getty ImagesTop 5 International Caps
Italy and Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon notched his 167th international appearance in a friendly versus Germany last week, equalling the European record set by Spaniard Iker Casillas. In modern football, where the continuous factory of players produces younger, faster and sharper stars through the ranks, it is an incredible achievement from the 38-year-old veteran to have kept his number 1 jersey for nearly 20 years. In this article, I will be looking at players with the most international caps for their country, and there’s a surprise inclusion at number 1…
Embed from Getty Images5) Hossam Hassan
The fifth highest player on the list, but not even the most capped Egyptian, Hossan Hassan was an Egyptian striker who played 169 times for his country, where he is the all time top goal scorer netting 69 goals. He won three African Cup of Nations in three different decades during an industrious career spanning over 20 years, where he was also fortunate enough to play with his twin brother on over 100 occasions.
4) Claudio Suarez
With 178 caps for Mexico, the central defender is known as “The Emperor” in his home nation. During his 14 years as a Mexico player, Suarez captained the team, played in 3 World Cups and scored 6 times.
3) Mohamed Al-Deayea
Goalkeeper Mohamed Al-Deayea represented Saudi Arabia 178 times, playing in 4 World Cup’s and spending his entire career in the country, winning everything possible with Al-Hilal. Before the 2002 World Cup, there were strong rumours the Saudi Arabian was set to replace Fabien Barthez at Manchester United, however, after conceding 12 goals in the group stage, it seemed the deal was called off. Al-Deayea was voted Asia’s Goalkeeper of the Century by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics in 1999.
2) Ahmed Hassan
Ahmed Hassan is the all time most capped international male footballer in history with 184 appearances for Egypt. He won the Africa Cup of Nations 4 times (1998, 2006, 2008, 2010), being named Player of the Tournament in 2006 where he captained the side and scored 4 goals in 6 matches. Hassan broke Hossam Hassan’s (no relation) appearance record in January 2010, making
his 170th appearance for his country. In an eventful game for the midfielder, he scored an own goal, equalized with a long range screamer, and then claimed the last goal in a 3-1 win, despite replays showing the ball did not cross the line.
1) Kristine Lilly
Kristine Lilly is the most capped international player in the history of the game, featuring a staggering 354 times for the United States women’s national team. During her 23-year career, she netted 130 times, and is 1 of 10 women to break the 200 appearance barrier. Lilly made her international debut in 1987 whilst still studying at high school, surpassing the previous record of 151 caps held by Norway’s Heidi Store in May 1987. The 2-time World Cup winner and Olympic gold medalist is fondly remembered for her role in the 1999 World Cup final versus China. With the golden goal rule in effect, Lilly cleared a certain goal off the line during extra time, then scored the penalty which gave the USA the lead in the shootout, which they consequently went on to win. In 2007, she became the first women to appear in 5 World Cup Final’s. Legend.
Embed from Getty ImagesTop 5 Training Ground Bust Ups
Sometimes in football, situations can get heated. Whether it’s a dangerous tackle, a bit of stick from another player or a player retaliating, managers, coaches and players collide. It probably happens more often than we realise, as training sessions are predominantly behind closes doors the general public don’t really get to see what happens on the training pitch. This week, former Manchester United midfielder Anderson Luís de Abreu Oliveira punched 21-year-old defender William de Asevedo Furtado in the face during training in Brazil. Players from all over the pitch sprinted to intervene as William was sent flying to the ground. This prompted a look at some of the most explosive and high-profile training ground bust ups.
Mario Balotelli versus. Roberto Mancini
Roberto Mancini and Mario Balotelli had a love-hate relationship every neutral enjoyed watching erupt now and then. The pair didn’t always see eye to eye often argued during matches, such as when Mancini substituted Balotelli after thirty minutes when he failed to score a back heel goal during a pre season friendly versus LA Galaxy. Mancini fumed he didn’t pass the ball to Edin Dzeko, who was in a much better position to score a goal, and most importantly, probably would have rolled it into the net. In this training ground bust up, the Italian couple got physical after Balotelli flew into a challenge with French left back Gael Clichy. Mancini saw red and grabbed him by the collar, before having to be separated by staff.
Andy Carroll versus Steven Taylor
Embed from Getty ImagesIn March 2010 Andy Carroll broke defender Steven Taylor’s jaw in a feisty training ground scrap, a confrontation which resulted in both players requiring surgery. Carroll attacked Taylor before training had even started after finding out that the central defender had been receiving text messages from his ex-girlfriend.
Joey Barton versus Ousmane Dabo
Embed from Getty ImagesIn May 2007 one of the most graphic training ground bust ups of all time ended with Joey Barton in prison and Ousmane Dabo looking in his own words, like “The Elephant Man.” The pair clashed after Barton confronted Dabo about his lack of effort in training. There was a Manchester derby coming up and Barton felt as if Dabo wasn’t pulling his weight in training and was just there to collect his wages. The pair then exchanged words with Dabo swearing at Barton in French and Barton replying “you are s*** at football,” before tackles started to fly in on each other during drills. Whilst having a pop at each other, Dabo lost his cool and sprinted towards Barton with his fist in the air. Barton punched him twice in the face knocking the French international to the ground, where he was rushed to hospital with head injuries and a suspected detached retina . Barton was suspended by the club as Dabo left to return to Lazio a year later.
John Hartson versus Eyal Berkovic
The world was shocked when John Hartson booted Eyal Berkovic in the face after the Israeli lashed out at him whilst on the ground during a training ground incident caught on camera in 1998. Berkovic hit Hartson because the Welshman tried to pick him up off the floor after a late tackle and was clearly angry at Hartson’s assumption he was not seriously hurt. The pair however made up and were snapped together in training a month later with grins on their faces.
Miquel Nelom versus Tonny Vilhena
Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty ImagesTeam-mates Miquel Nelom and Tonny Vilhena had to be separated on the training pitch in January 2016 as they came to blows during the Dutch club’s winter training camp in Portugal. Several players as well as manager Giovanni Van Bronckhorst attempt to race in and keep the pair apart as they are seen landing kicks on each other. It is reported that the bust-up broke out after Vilhena reacted angrily to a dangerous tackle by Nelom.
Believe in Bilic: My View
It’s simply remarkable what Slaven Bilic achieved at West Ham United last season. He breathed new life into an ageing team, as well as instilled a fluid, attacking playing style which saw the Hammers beat the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham and Everton – a stunning achievement. In previous seasons, these are the type of games fans wrote off, but Slaven completely changed the mentality of the players and supporters. He has built a team capable of competing with these tough teams and picking up points; I can’t remember in my life time ever having a team or manager able of achieving this feat.
However, this season, the fairytale has failed to blossom. With the club leaving behind their home of 112 years and moving into the sparkling spaceship that is the London Stadium, results have been inconsistent for Bilic’s men. West Ham lost eight games throughout the entire 2015/16 season; they now have that number of defeats in December.
Worryingly, goals have been hard to come by at the new stadium too, with the team scoring more than one goal only once in eight matches. This is not what the fans had come to expect from a Slaven Bilic team which scored the joint fourth highest amount of goals last season (65).
Embed from Getty ImagesNearly all of West Ham’s summer signings have flopped. Now, this isn’t all Bilic’s fault. It’s no secret that owners David Gold and David Sullivan like to penny pinch and this lack of competitive investment in the transfer window has halted the teams progress on the pinch. Loan deals and freebies are all well and good if the gamble pays off, but more often than not it doesn’t and this has been the case this season.
Loan signings Simeone Zaza and Jonathan Calleri have been arguably two of the worst players to don the claret and blue colours, with no goals or assists in 20 games combined. Freebies Gokhan Tore, Sofiane Feghouli and Havard Nordtviet have all failed to make an impact with just one assist between them from 23 games combined. Club record signing Andre Ayew has looked out of place since his £20.5million move from Swansea. He was
signed as the clubs “marquee striker” David Sullivan promised the fans, but has spent most of his minutes on the wing.
With West Ham sitting one point above the relegation zone and bookmakers fluctuating between Bilic being the favourite manager to lose his job, I think the worse thing the club could do is panic and sack him. The Croatian is the best manager the club have employed in decades and he delivered the best season of football I’ve witnessed in my 20 years.
I believe he deserves time to replicate the mistakes made this season and turn the London Stadium into a fortress. It was always going to take time to settle into the new 57,000 capacity arena, like it does when anybody moves house. Two recent spirited draws at Old Trafford and Anfield prove he has not “lost the dressing room” and that he still can get the best out of this West Ham team.
Embed from Getty ImagesLeicester City versus Manchester City Match Preview
This is a full match preview of Leicester City’s Premier League clash against Manchester City, hosted at the King Power Stadium on Saturday 10th December 2016 (5.30pm kick-off), refereed by Michael Oliver.
Leicester City and Manchester City return to Premier League action this Saturday evening after poor results in the Champions League midweek. A weakened Leicester team containing eight changes from their previous Champions League encounter, were thumped 5-0 by Porto at the Estádio do Dragão stadium. With qualification confirmed and the group won, manager Claudio Ranieri left several of his first team squad at home ahead of the crucial Premier League fixture that followed.
Central defensive midfielder Namples Mendy is available for selection after six weeks on the sidelines, having undergone ankle surgery. The Frenchman made his first appearance for the Foxes versus Porto since limping off against Arsenal back in August. Captain Danny Drinkwater serves the last of his three match suspension for elbowing Valon Behrami last month, whilst Kasper Schmeichel continues his recovery from injury. Robert Huth has a back problem, but Ranieri still expects the defender to start.
Manchester City are missing three first team players through suspension. Sergio Aguero and Fernandinho were both shown straight red cards in their previous Premier League fixture against Chelsea, with Aguero picking up a four game suspension and Fernandinho three games. Otamendi also misses the match through suspension having accumulated five yellow cards. Vincent Kompany is still out because of a knee injury, while Raheem Sterling is also doubtful because of an injured knee.
After 14 games last season, Leicester City were second in the table, a point behind Manchester City. They had lost one game and had 29 points on the board. This season, the Foxes are two points from relegation with seven losses already to their name. Although, Claudio Ranieri has won seven of his eight Premier League games against Manchester City, with the only draw coming at the King Power stadium last season.
Manchester City drew 1-1 versus Celtic at the Etihad on Tuesday, as Pep Guardiola fielded a largely second string team having already qualified as runners up. However, Manchester City’s home form continues to concern Guardiola and the fans, with only one win in the last six home fixtures in all competitions.
After three draws in their last six games, Manchester City are four points behind leaders Chelsea. However, a good omen for the Sky Blues is that they have not lost an away game to Leicester in the Premier League, with their last top-flight defeat coming in March 1987.
Liverpool versus West Ham United Match Report
Liverpool dropped points from a winning position for the second game running, as West Ham took advantage of defensive mishaps to climb out of the relegation zone with a spirited 2-2 draw.
The home side took the lead after just five minutes through a controlled low strike by Adam Lallana. Liverpool looked confidently on top until the goal scorer needlessly gave a foul away on the edge of the box after 27 minutes. Dimitri Payet buried the resulting free kick from 25 yards, with goalkeeper Loris Karius hardly covering himself in glory as he palmed the ball into the side netting. It was an effort he really should have saved.
The German shot stopper was beaten again 12 minutes later, after Joel Matip failed to clear the danger from a deflected ball over the top. Michail Antonio, who had started up front, latched onto the loose ball and flicked it past Karius with the outside of his foot, putting the Hammers 1-2 up. Karius was less culpable for the goal, but he still should have done better.
Embed from Getty ImagesIn first half stoppage time Liverpool had strong a penalty shout waved away by referee Mark Clattenburg as Dimitri Payet and Adam Lallana tussled on the by-line. The resulting corner was cannoned onto the bar after a stooping header by Joel Matip, creating panic in the West Ham box. West Ham managed to clear their lines as Clattenburg blew for half time.
Within three minutes of the restart, Divock Origi drew the hosts level after a costly mistake by West Ham goalkeeper Darren Randolph. Sadio Mané chipped a delightful ball into the box from the left hand side and Randolph misjudged the flight, fumbling it into the path of Origi, who made no mistake from five yards. West Ham have now conceded four goals in the opening five minutes of the last six halves.
Midway through the second half Randolph had atoned for his earlier mistake with a contender for save of the season. Jordan Henderson’s stunning striker was bending into the top corner, but Randolph met it with a magnificent one-handed save to tip it over the bar.
With Slaven Bilic substituting Andy Carroll on against his former club, West Ham had more of a presence up front as he switched to a back five, happy to preserve the point. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp did not make any more substitutions with a sincere lack of firepower and experience on the bench through an accumulation of injuries.
The change of formation did not seem to steady the ship for West Ham, as Liverpool dominated possession and looked threatening going forward. Georginio Wijnaldum was denied by a fantastic block by West Ham’s Havard Nordtviet, as Mané also had a shot blocked by Winston Reid minutes later.
West Ham took advantage of Liverpool’s weary legs and hit Liverpool on the counter attack with five minutes left. The attack came to nothing however as Karius raced out of his goal to punch clear, cutting Andy Carroll’s head in the process.
Liverpool continued to swarm the West Ham half in the dying embers of the game with a flurry of corners and crosses. West Ham dealt with them well and cleared their lines efficiently, securing an excellent draw on the back of a 1-5 drubbing at home to Arsenal.
Liverpool will see the result as two points dropped after losing more ground on Premier League leaders Chelsea. West Ham may also feel slightly disappointed as Darren Randolph’s early mistake in the second half gifted the Reds an equaliser, but would have taken a point before kick-off hands down.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Rejuvenation of International Football: The UEFA Nations League
UEFA is an organisation of associations who have closely monitored the decline of quality displayed during international fixtures since 2011. They have decided it is time for a transformation, introducing the UEFA Nations League. The UEFA Nations League stems from UEFA’s desire to implicate more “sporting meaning” into national team football, as well as improving its quality and reputation. The first tournament is due to commence in September 2018 after the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
The UEFA Nations League would see all 55 of UEFA’s members associations’ national teams divided into four leagues, with each league divided into four groups of three to four teams. The leagues are devised on the nations’ ranking and taking into account their recent most results, with League A including Europe’s top-ranked teams and League D containing the lowest ranked. The group winners of League A are then “promoted” to play in the “Final Four Competition,” with the winners becoming the UEFA Nations League champions. In each league four teams are promoted and four teams are relegated to play in the next competition, with each group winner also gaining the opportunity to qualify for Euro 2020 if they fail to do so via the qualifying groups.
Football associations and teams will benefit from the clarity of the international fixture calendar that the Nations League will provide. There will be a clear beginning and end between the UEFA European Championships and the FIFA World Cup qualifying campaigns and vice versa, as well as consistency of revenue.
Coaches and national football associations all over Europe have been in discussions with UEFA about the current situation regarding the friendly internationals. They feel the matches are “not providing adequate sporting competition.” The UEFA Nations League will largely replace friendly fixtures, however the new Nations League format will free up space in the calendar for friendly internationals, especially for higher ranked teams who may want to play opposition from other confederations, as they will be in groups of three teams.
The advantages for national associations and teams are that best European teams have the chance to take part in a new top-level event in the “Final Four Competition.” The tournament offers middle-ranked and smaller nations an alternative route to qualify for UEFA European Championships tournament should they be unsuccessful in qualifying. Nations in the bottom 16 of the rankings are also guaranteed one of the 24 available qualifying slots for the Euro competition, offering the likes of San Marino, Andorra and Georgia a more realistic chance of qualifying as they will be taking part in balanced matches. UEFA have recognized teams do not learn and progress by repeatedly losing.
Supporters more than most realise friendlies fail to provide the same intensity and meaning as qualifiers or tournament fixtures. An advantage of the UEFA Nations League is that it will provide supporters more opportunities to see their country play in more competitive matches, as well as providing a second chance to qualify for the UEFA European Championship should they fail via the group stage. Fans of the top-ranked teams also have the prospect of watching their team lift a trophy should they be successful. Supporters interest in international football as a whole will increase, as there will be a new champion in every odd year of the calendar, as there is in every even year with the World Cup or UEFA European Championship.
The UEFA Nations League will not increase the demands on players and clubs as it will abide to the current agreed international fixture calendar. UEFA are intent on maintaining the balance between club and international football. The new competition should, in fact, decrease demands on players and clubs with less travel for friendly games while national teams will be playing more consistently at their own level. Double-header match weeks will allow players to return to their respective clubs sooner than is currently the case.
To conclude, the UEFA Nations League will completely rejuvenate European international football. With nations playing nations of a similar standing, international football will be as competitive as ever, with the prospect of silverware and qualification to a major tournament only adding to the excitement. Fans of top-ranked teams will be able to watch more attractive fixtures, whereas lower ranked nations have a much improved chance of qualifying for a major tournament.
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