End of international friendlies

Europe's football body, UEFA, outlined its Nations League concept on Thursday, a creation that will replace the much-criticised international friendly with a more competitive set-up. UEFA have said this should result in the best teams playing against each other more often.

The tournament also offers additional qualifying berths for European championships and World Cups to those teams who have not made it in the regular qualifying campaign.

Following up on its initial announcement in March, UEFA confirmed after Thursday's executive committee meeting that its 54 teams will play the Nations League on the six match dates between September and November 2018. The teams are split into four divisions, with the 12 best ranked teams in League A which will consist of four groups of three teams.

Group winners advance to a Final Four tournament with semi-finals and a final in June 2019, at a venue to be decided by UEFA. In addition, group winners are promoted and last-placed teams relegated from the divisions for the next edition in 2020.

The Nations League also offers four berths, via play-offs, for the Euro 2020 tournament. This gives teams who failed to qualify in the original qualifying campaign - set for March-November 2019 in 10 groups of five or six teams - a chance to play at the 24-team event held in 13 European cities.

jh/jr (AP, dpa)