Anyone else think this? Whoever thought up this 24 team format, with four 3rd place sides going through must have been on the beer when they come up with the idea. First of all certain groups are at an advantage over others. Italy for example have won the group, and will have to play a 2nd placed side in Spain. However France and Wales having also won their group get the luxury of getting to play a 3rd placed side from another group. How is that fair on the Italians, that other group winners get easier games than they do? Spain didn't win their group, coming 2nd, and neither did England coming 2nd too. Yet England get to play another 2nd placed side where as Spain have to play a side in Italy who finished top of their group. England are basically being treated the same as group winners Italy, getting to play a 2nd placed side when they didn't even win the group. I understand teams where drawn into groups at random, however the French being hosts, got put automatically as top seeds of group A, and the winners get to play a 3rd placed side. So instantly the hosts are at a big advantage. If they where going to increase the number of sides, then they should have just gone up to 32 sides like the World Cup with top 2 going through from each group of 4. As this whole 24 team format isn't a fair format at all. There are still plenty of other useful sides in Europe, to make up a 32 team tournament, and that's what I think they should do next time.
Spain didn't win their group, coming 2nd, and neither did England coming 2nd too. Yet England get to play another 2nd placed side where as Spain have to play a side in Italy who finished top of their group. England are basically being treated the same as group winners Italy, getting to play a 2nd placed side when they didn't even win the group. What you on about?England get to play Portugal/Iceland/Hungary or Austria,none of them would put fear into you.A result if you ask me.
Football is one of, if not the most, corrupt sports in the world. When it comes to taking it seriously it's on a par with WWE.
I like it too. Think Desmond and Liewell are hoping to change it next time to include a couple of 4th placed teams too.
Best 3rd place is ****e. Teams playing to keep the score down. 6 teams out of 24 not making it out the groups Ireland to be one of them
You are completely missing the point. Yes England have been one of the fortunate sides that haven't been put at a disadvantage, due to the system. However that still doesn't alter the fact that the format is a flawed format that shows bias to 4 groups, and puts the other 2 groups at a disadvantage. Just because I'm an England supporter, I can still have an objective opinion about it.