The system of women’s European Championship and World Cup qualifiers is changing. The new format will be in use from the fall of next year.
The format of women’s prestigious football qualifiers is being revolutionized. In the future, women will also play in the Nations League, which is familiar from the men’s side.
In the Women’s League of Nations, the countries are divided based on their rankings into A, B, and C leagues, of which there are 16 countries in the first two and 19 countries in the C league. With these prospects, Finland will play in the B-league.
– The League of Nations is an expected and happy thing. On the men’s side, we have seen how the format has added interesting, competitive matches to the time between the qualifiers. It’s great that the format can also be added to the women’s side to increase high-level, competitive matches, Development Manager of the Finnish Football Association Heidi Pihlaja tells Urheilu by phone.
In the future, the qualifiers will also be played in the model familiar from the Nations League, i.e. the teams are divided into three different leagues: A, B and C leagues.
The eight best teams in the A-League qualify directly for the final tournament and the rest of the places are distributed in the follow-up tournament, where the remaining A-League teams and the C-League group winners and the three best group runners-up and the B-League group winners, group runners-up and group runners-up will qualify. There are still seven places up for grabs in the further tournament. One place is reserved for the race organizer.
– I think this is a compromise of the UEFA working group on how development is built. I must say that I myself am still waiting to see what strengths and weaknesses this model has. Of course, it offers even more opponents of their own level and matches of their own level, and perhaps reduces struggles with large differences in level, which end up to 15–0, says Pihlaja.
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On the other hand, in the new model, countries of the same level face each other more often, which reduces the chances of playing against top countries.
Finland plays in the B-league
The EC qualifiers will start in the spring of 2024. Finland has participated in the Games four times: 2005, 2009, 2013 and most recently in 2022.
How does the new system affect Helmarei’s chances of getting to the Games?
– There are many teams in the B-league that Finland can beat, really anyone, and fight for promotion to the A-league. That is why it has been made possible for the B-league to reach the European Championship. I believe that there are still opportunities to progress to the top 16 in Europe, but of course it requires the game to progress and develop. Football is developing at a fast pace in all European countries, and we have to keep up with the development. But I believe that the best 16 teams always make it to the games.
Finland has applied for the right to organize the summer 2025 European Championships together with Sweden, Denmark and Norway. According to UEFA, a maximum of two tournament organizers could get a place in the tournament.
– We will do everything we can to get the games here and then we will talk in more detail with UEFA. One option we have put on the table is that everyone would participate in the qualifiers and then see if anyone stays on the beach, says Pihlaja.
In addition to the Nordic countries, Poland, France and Switzerland have announced their interest in organizing the European Championships.
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