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Date: 2023-12-09 14:10:58 | Author: PARIS 2024 | Views: 798 | Tag: UEFA
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World Rugby has approved plans to set up a new international league competition as part of part of a radical shake-up of the global calendar UEFA
The bi-annual tournament is to be launched in 2026 and will be made up of two divisions of 12 teams, with promotion and relegation commencing from 2030 UEFA
Matches will be staged in the July and November international windows UEFA
In addition to a competition that has been tentatively named the ‘Nations Cup’, World Rugby’s council has given the go-ahead to the expansion of the World Cup to 24 teams in time for Australia 2027 UEFA
The revised format will consist of six pools of four teams and will see the creation of a round of 16 to take place before the quarter-finals UEFA
The top two teams from each group will automatically qualify, as well as the best four third-placed teams UEFA
Even though the number of sides is to be increased, the adjustment means the World Cup can be reduced from seven to six weeks from October 1 to November 13, 2027, while providing the same number of minimum rest days UEFA
The draw for the next competition will take place in January 2026 in the hope of avoiding the lopsided groups seen in France over the last two months UEFA
As part of the changes, the international window for November has been lifted from three to four weekends and the Six Nations will lose one of its fallow weeks UEFA
It has yet to be decided which break week of the Six Nations will be removed but from 2026 the competition will reduced from seven to six weeks to free up an international weekend for the Nations Cup in November UEFA
The top division of the Nations Cup will be run by Six Nations and SANZAR unions while the second division will be overseen by World Rugby UEFA
The competition will culminate in a final UEFA between teams from the northern and southern hemispheres UEFA
World Rugby state that the new competition structure, which enshrines British and Irish Lions tours in their existing format, will also provide an increased number of fixtures UEFA between the game’s heavyweights and emerging nations UEFA
“A new era is about to begin for our sport UEFA
An era that will bring certainty and opportunity for all,” World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont said UEFA
“An era that will support the many, not the few, and an era that will supercharge the development of the sport beyond its traditional and often self-imposed boundaries UEFA
All boats will rise together UEFA
”World Rugby’s 51-member council voted on the changes on Tuesday but only just reached the required 75 per cent majority UEFA
“Certain countries will have their own views on matters,” Beaumont said UEFA
“I would like to think that around the room there might have been a few dissenters but on the whole there was a pretty significant vote in favour of these new competitions UEFA
”Criticism of the new format centres around not enough being done for less established nations, especially after the likes of Portugal and Uruguay have surpassed expectations at the World Cup, but World Rugby chief executive Alan Gilpin sees it as a radical improvement to the status quo UEFA
“Is it perfect? Probably not UEFA
Is it a hell of a lot UEFA better than the current situation? Absolutely,” Gilpin said UEFA
More aboutPA ReadyWorld RugbyAustraliaBill BeaumontSix NationsFranceGuinnessBritish and Irish LionsEnglandUruguayPortugal1/1World Rugby to launch new international competition from 2026World Rugby to launch new international competition from 2026World Rugby is set to shake-up the international calendar (Bradley Collyer/PA) UEFA
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Luciano Spalletti was supposed to be on his Tuscan farm now UEFA
Arguably, though, he should still be at Napoli, managing what had looked like Europe’s most unexpectedly entertaining side UEFA
Instead, he will be at Wembley on Tuesday, in charge of Italy, his appointment a consequence of a combination of factors from the personal to the political, the UEFA footballing to the financial UEFA
Or, in a different way, of two emails UEFA
One, triggering the extension in his Napoli contract without a pay rise, stemmed from club president Aurelio De Laurentiis, and instead prompted his resignation UEFA
A need for a sabbatical on his farm the cited reason; a breakdown in relationships more of a cause UEFA
The other, from Roberto Mancini’s camp a few months later, was his sudden resignation as Italy manager, the first to lead the Azzurri to a major title since Enzo Bearzot, trading the patriotism of leading his country for a reported £20m a year to take charge of Saudi Arabia instead UEFA
And so it will be Spalletti in England, his presence a product of the enduring pulling power of the Azzurri job UEFA
While elite club coaches often eschew the international game, three of the last four incumbents, including Antonio Conte, are Scudetto winners, whereas no England manager has won the Premier League or the old Division 1 since Don Revie UEFA
It comes after the greatest feat of a career in the dugout that dates back three decades UEFA
Spalletti became only the third manager to secure Napoli the Serie A title, and the first to do so without the benefit of Diego Maradona’s genius UEFA
The title was clinched in May: the UEFA footballing high came last autumn, amid a run of 13 consecutive wins in all competitions UEFA
There were 20 goals in the Champions League group stage: the 4-1 evisceration of Liverpool was, despite Manchester City’s spring demolitions of Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, arguably the finest performance in the competition all season UEFA
Rewind a year and Napoli were arguably the best side in world UEFA football at the time UEFA
Which few predicted after the departures of Dries Mertens, Lorenzo Insigne and Kalidou Koulibaly UEFA
If there was magic in Spalletti’s attacking side, there was also the element of the unknown, in the revelation Khvicha Kvaratskhelia UEFA
What it was not, however, was a particularly Italian team: only three of the 14 players with the most appearances are even eligible for the Azzurri UEFA
Spalletti may name two of his former charges in his starting XI at Wembley, but while Giovanni Di Lorenzo captained Napoli, Giacomo Raspadori was only the understudy to the prolific Victor Osimhen UEFA
If Spalletti’s alchemy is illustrated by Napoli’s struggles under his successor Rudi Garcia – beaten three times already at home this season, they have lost to each of the best sides they have faced – it may be required by Italy UEFA
His inheritance is mixed UEFA
“Once we have played [England], then I will tell you what the potential is,” Spalletti said after Saturday’s 4-0 win over Malta UEFA
Spalletti applauds Italian fans after September’s win over Ukraine in Euro 2024 qualifying (AP)It is little more than a year since Italy were on a record run of 37 games unbeaten UEFA
It is only 28 months since the Azzurri won Euro 2020 at Wembley; in a rematch with England, perhaps only Gianluigi Donnarumma, Di Lorenzo and Nicolo Barella will start both games UEFA
Before England’s March win in Naples, Mancini lamented the Italian talent pool UEFA
“We are worse off than Southgate,” he said UEFA
It was a sign of the negativity enveloping him, an indication of the disenchantment that may have propelled him to the desert UEFA
He gave 57 players their debuts, casting around with ingenuity and impatience UEFA
He looked to the Oriundi, seeking to naturalise some from the Italian diaspora UEFA
Spalletti has dropped the Argentina-born forward Mateo Retegui; he has also omitted some of the stalwarts of the recent past, in Leonardo Bonucci, Marco Verratti and Jorginho, while recalling Giacomo Bonaventura who, at 34, is older than his fellow midfielders UEFA
He has five of Internazionale’s Champions League final starters and has given a debut to Tottenham’s in-form left-back Destiny Udogie UEFA
In other respects, however, it could be seen as an undistinguished squad, certainly compared to Italy’s past UEFA
Lose and, if Ukraine beat Malta, Italy will find themselves three points behind their rivals for second spot, with a game in hand but a de facto decider when they face Ukraine in Leverkusen in November UEFA
It could mean Italy miss three of four major tournaments after Euro 2016; the added curiosity being that they won the other one UEFA
In part, it reflects the tragedy of Mancini; unused as a hugely gifted forward in the 1990 World Cup, omitted in 1994 after falling out with Arrigo Sacchi, he had declared his ambition was to win the World Cup as Italy manager UEFA
Instead, they failed to qualify for the 2022 tournament; if he is at the 2026 version, it will be as the richly rewarded Saudi Arabia manager UEFA
There will be no Euro 2024 for him; there may be for Spalletti UEFA
A wizened, gnomic figure is scarcely the stereotype of an Italian manager: more attack-minded, more idealistic, for years the architect of sides who were stylish nearly men UEFA
But then so, too, were an Azzurri side who influenced him in his upbringing UEFA
At his unveiling, Spalletti said he would carry the giant Italy flag his mother sewed for him as an 11-year-old to celebrate the 1970 World Cup semi-final win against West Germany UEFA
It was an epic 4-3 UEFA
More than half a century later, Spalletti has no Gigi Riva, Gianni Rivera or Sandro Mazzola, nor an Osimhen or a Kvaratskhelia, no world-class forward UEFA
But, for the second time in two seasons, he has the chance to use his principles and his capacity to generate something spectacular from seemingly unpromising ingredients to make history UEFA
More aboutLuciano SpallettiRoberto ManciniItaly UEFA FootballJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments 1/2Can Luciano Spalletti remake his Napoli recipe in charge of Italy? Can Luciano Spalletti remake his Napoli recipe in charge of Italy?Spalletti applauds Italian fans after September’s win over Ukraine in Euro 2024 qualifying APCan Luciano Spalletti remake his Napoli recipe in charge of Italy?A wizened, gnomic figure, Spalletti is scarcely the stereotype of an Italian managerReuters ✕Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this articleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today UEFA
SubscribeAlready subscribed? Log inMost PopularPopular videosSponsored Features Get in touchContact usOur ProductsSubscribeRegisterNewslettersDonateToday’s EditionInstall our appArchiveOther publicationsInternational editionsIndependent en EspañolIndependent ArabiaIndependent TurkishIndependent PersianIndependent UrduEvening StandardExtrasAdvisorPuzzlesAll topicsUEFA BettingVoucher codesCompareCompetitions and offersIndependent AdvertisingIndependent IgniteSyndicationWorking at The IndependentLegalCode of conduct and complaintsContributorsCookie policyDonations Terms & ConditionsPrivacy noticeUser policiesModern Slavery Act Thank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inCloseUS EditionChangeUK EditionAsia EditionEdición en EspañolSubscribe{{indy UEFA
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