BERN (Switzerland) • Europe's national teams will emerge from a 10-month hiatus as the second edition of the Nations League kicks off today, still in the shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic which brought football to a standstill this year.
There has been no international action on the continent since last November and the intervening period has seen the European Championship delayed until next June, with club football the priority.
Former world champions Germany and Spain will meet today, when six other games take place. Revitalised Italy welcome Bosnia tomorrow and, on Saturday, European champions and holders Portugal host Croatia, while world champions France visit Sweden.
"We will restart with even greater determination," said Azzurri coach Roberto Mancini, whose side had chalked up an Italian record-breaking 11 successive wins before the interruption.
"After not playing for so long, there's even more desire to get back on the pitch."
Despite travel curbs around Europe and a surge in coronavirus cases in some countries, Uefa has confirmed that all games, bar one, would be played in the originally scheduled venues and practically every association will host a game.
"Most member associations have managed to obtain from their competent national/local authorities exemptions allowing teams to travel to the match venue and their players to return to their clubs after their national team duty," a statement read.
The only game to be moved was for political reasons - Moldova's refusal to recognise Kosovo as an independent nation means they will host their match in Parma, Italy.
Matches will still have to be played behind closed doors and there are potential complications if players test positive for Covid-19 before matches. Uefa says that matches will go ahead as long as both teams have at least 13 players available. Teams who are not able to field a side could forfeit the match, with the final decision resting with its disciplinary committee.
The Nations League, conceptualised to replace friendlies, features all 55 of Europe's national teams divided into four divisions - Leagues A to D - that are themselves split into four groups.
There is relegation and promotion between each league, although unlike the first edition, the groups in Leagues A, B and C have been increased from three to four countries so that teams will play six matches in the next two months, instead of four.
The competition could also provide a back door to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar as two of the 12 places in the European play-offs will be reserved for Nations League teams.
Meanwhile, international football in the rest of the world will remain on hold with this month's World Cup qualifiers in Asia and South America postponed.
REUTERS
