Friendlies off UEFA agenda

Wayne Rooney: the England striker will be playing more competitive matches
14 April 2012

European football chiefs today signalled a move towards the end of regular international friendlies.

UEFA are planning to expand the numbers in qualifying groups for the next World Cup and 2008 European Championships, meaning more competitive fixtures.

England's friendlies this year have attracted criticism for the number of substitutions made by Sven-Goran Eriksson, and UEFA president Lennart Johansson believes such matches are becoming discredited.

"We are already seeing the end of friendlies," said Johansson. "If you watch any of these matches, you wonder why they exist.

"Either a player is injured before the game or the squad is not the one they would have in a qualification match." Johansson said the international calendar allows countries time to rest players and it was up to them if they wished to continue to play friendlies.

"Some will still travel around the world and play exhibition matches. It's for them to use it or misuse it," he said.

UEFA's proposed changes for the 2006 World Cup will see the 51 teams in the qualifying tournament split into three groups of seven teams and five of six.

The eight group winners and two best runners-up would qualify automatically, with the other six runners-up playing off for the three remaining spots.

For the European Championships 2008 qualifying tournament, the 50 teams involved will be split into one group of eight teams and six groups of seven. The seven winners and seven runners-up will qualify for the finals.

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