Over the years I have witnessed some trouncings of sides at Dalymount and the old Lansdowne Road by our International side, not too many at the new Lansdowne. Equally I have witnessed some fairly abject performances against so called lesser nations. I could never accept that Ireland should be automaticaly placed above the Andorras of this world purely on the basis of a ranking. I would contend that the seeding system in the drawing of the groups adequately ensures that “big”countries have the opportunity to progress. To deny countries the chance of a day in the sun against a Germany or Italy is one thing, but to deny these lesser nations the chance of an upset against an Austria, Ireland or Scotland is entirely another. Players progress by playing against players of a higher level, not by only playing against players of their own level. Not every international team is laden with stars of the EPL.

In regard to club football, I am old enough to recall the glamour of AC Milan coming to St Mels Park in athlone in 1975, a tie the likes of which will never happen again due to draw restrictions. My local team in Ireland have regurally qualified for European football in recent years but the prospect of a glamour tie is virtually nil. To progress to such a tie they must win probably 3 rounds against opposition that get progressively better each round. This is an expensive and almost impossible task. A trip to some far flung Eastern European country is both expensive and energy sapping for players many of whom are part time. The big clubs in Europe have ued their financial clout to almost squeeze out the smaller clubs. This has happened with the introduction of multiple places in the Champions League to ensure the Man U’s, Inters etc will be in that competition every year. The introduction of the Europa League as a consolation prize for those who fail to make the group stages of the CL. Sooner or later this competition too will become an area closed to clubs like those of Ireland as the regular particpants will want to ring fence that too.

If international football goes the way you propose it is likely that sooner or later World Cups and European Championships will be all but closed to smaller nations in the same way as the Champions League. Even as it is the places in the World Cup finals are weighted towards the more financially powerful federations. That is more than enough football must resist the pressure from financiers and media moguls to control waht is the peoples game.