A Solution to Dissolution: If the UEFA Nations League Began in 1998

[NTF aka Seb]

Part 12 - Crisis and Prices
2004-05 Season: Leagues B to A and the Nations League Finals​

League B
Serbia and Montenegro won Group B1 with unexpected ease, not losing a single match. Israel also went undefeated, despite winning just a single match. For the fourth consecutive Nations League season, Israel were neither promoted or relegated from the division. Otto Rehhagel's Greece disappointed by only finishing third, having been regarded as one of the main contenders to win promotion. Finland's campaign was even worse, suffering consecutive relegations after being in League A last season.

Having nearly been relegated last season, Ukraine bounced back well to win promotion to League A for the first time, picking up crucial wins in their final matches after only obtaining two points in the three first games. The Republic of Ireland failed to win promotion back to the top division, while Norway's only highlights were their wins against Ukraine and League B debutants Bosnia and Herzegovina, who were heading back down despite up a respectable five points.

Scotland barely won promotion back to League A, largely thanks to Kenny Miller's away goal against Russia. Though it was also in vain, as the Scots dropped home points to Slovenia on the final matchday. Thankfully for the Tartan Army, Russia also failed to triumph over Latvia in Riga. The Latvians were the surprise package of the group, nearly being promoted in consecutive seasons, most notably Slovenia and Scotland on the road. Slovenia were relegated for the first time ever.

Croatia were again promoted to League A, having been relegated from the division last season, while promotion to the top flight still eluded Poland. Romania were never really close to being promoted, but still completely safe from relegation. Iceland suffered the worst season League B had ever seen, losing almost all matches by a comfortable margin.

Matches
Israel 2-2 Serbia and Montenegro
Finland 2-1 Greece
Greece 0-1 Serbia and Montenegro
Israel 1-0 Finland
Greece 0-0 Israel
Serbia and Montenegro 2-0 Finland
Serbia and Montenegro 0-0 Greece
Finland 2-2 Israel
Israel 1-1 Greece
Finland 0-2 Serbia and Montenegro
Greece 2-1 Finland
Serbia and Montenegro 0-0 Israel

Matches
Ukraine 0-1 Norway
Republic of Ireland 2-1 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina 1-0 Norway
Ukraine 1-1 Republic of Ireland
Bosnia and Herzegovina 1-1 Ukraine
Norway 1-1 Republic of Ireland
Norway 3-1 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Republic of Ireland 0-1 Ukraine
Ukraine 1-0 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Republic of Ireland 1-0 Norway
Bosnia and Herzegovina 0-0 Republic of Ireland
Norway 1-2 Ukraine

Matches
Slovenia 0-3 Scotland
Russia 2-0 Latvia
Latvia 1-2 Scotland
Slovenia 1-0 Russia
Latvia 2-2 Slovenia
Scotland 0-0 Russia
Scotland 0-1 Latvia
Russia 1-0 Slovenia
Slovenia 0-1 Latvia
Russia 1-1 Scotland
Latvia 1-1 Russia
Scotland 0-0 Slovenia

Matches
Poland 1-0 Romania
Croatia 4-0 Iceland
Iceland 1-4 Romania
Poland 1-1 Croatia
Iceland 1-4 Poland
Romania 0-1 Croatia
Romania 3-1 Iceland
Croatia 0-0 Poland
Poland 3-2 Iceland
Croatia 1-0 Romania
Iceland 1-3 Croatia
Romania 2-1 Poland



League A
The traditional football powerhouse Germany had struggled immensely in the Nations League - until now, as Die Mannschaft for the first time secured a spot in the Finals by topping Group A1. Portugal narrowly missed the Finals for the second consecutive season, but notably inflicted Germany their sole loss. Spain were a bit underwhelming, but never close to relegation. Switzerland did decently despite being relegated, given how competitive the group was.

The Czech Republic won Group A2 as expected, though Denmark made it closer than anticipated, notably defeating the Czechs in Copenhagen. However, Denmark's losses against the Czechs and Austria cost them dearly, as their debut in the Finals slipped away again. Denmark's point tally would have been enough to qualify from any other League A group, but not this one. Austria was back in League A for the first time since their unparalleled disastrous inaugural season. This time they did well for themselves by managing to stay up. Belgium had become somewhat of a staple of the division, making it pretty surprising they were heading down to League B.

Bizarrely, the Netherlands obtained nine points in their fourth (!) consecutive season. They had good chances of eclipsing that, though, as they only needed a draw against Italy in Amsterdam on the penultimate matchday to secure a spot in their maiden Nations League Finals. However, the Azzurri impressively came back from behind to triumph 2-1 and qualify for their second Finals running. Devastating for the Dutch, who ultimately finished third despite having the best goal difference in the group. England failed to make a return to the Finals, but still had a respectable season, especially given how competitive the group was. Italy were only defeated in one match. It wasn't England or the Netherlands who inflicted the Italians their loss, but 'little' Bulgaria, who relished in their historic win despite being relegated. Additionally, it was quite an interesting coincidence that all teams except Bulgaria specifically conceded four goals.

An underperforming French team paved the way for Sweden to top Group A4 and surprisingly qualify for their second Finals. France went undefeated, but failed to clinch vital victories. Turkey did well. Not well enough to qualify, though, despite impressively beating Sweden in Gothenburg on the final matchday. Debutants Wales had a goalless season to forget. However, the Dragons opened their campaign with a massive draw away against Le Bleus. Additionally, the managing staff hailed the competition for providing a vital competitive experience.

Matches
Germany 2-1 Portugal
Spain 1-1 Switzerland
Switzerland 1-1 Portugal
Germany 1-1 Spain
Switzerland 0-2 Germany
Portugal 1-0 Spain
Portugal 2-1 Switzerland
Spain 1-1 Germany
Germany 3-1 Switzerland
Spain 1-0 Portugal
Switzerland 1-1 Spain
Portugal 3-1 Germany

Matches
Belgium 1-2 Denmark
Czech Republic 3-2 Austria
Austria 2-1 Denmark
Belgium 0-2 Czech Republic
Austria 1-0 Belgium
Denmark 1-0 Czech Republic
Denmark 1-0 Austria
Czech Republic 2-0 Belgium
Belgium 4-2 Austria
Czech Republic 1-0 Denmark
Austria 2-2 Czech Republic
Denmark 2-1 Belgium

Matches
Italy 1-1 Netherlands
England 2-0 Bulgaria
Bulgaria 0-3 Netherlands
Italy 1-0 England
Bulgaria 1-0 Italy
Netherlands 1-1 England
Netherlands 2-0 Bulgaria
England 0-0 Italy
Italy 2-1 Bulgaria
England 0-0 Netherlands
Bulgaria 2-3 England
Netherlands 1-2 Italy

Matches
Turkey 1-2 Sweden
France 0-0 Wales
Wales 0-2 Sweden
Turkey 1-1 France
Wales 0-1 Turkey
Sweden 1-1 France
Sweden 3-0 Wales
France 3-2 Turkey
Turkey 1-0 Wales
France 0-0 Sweden
Wales 0-1 France
Sweden 0-1 Turkey



2005 UEFA Nations League Finals

Host crisis
There was a host crisis when it came to organising the fourth UEFA Nations League Finals. The Czech Republic's stadium capacity was insufficient, Germany were busy preparing for the upcoming FIFA Confederations Cup [1], not to mention World Cup, and Italy had previously hosted the Finals. This left Sweden as the lone eligible host candidate. While Sweden had two stadiums that met the requirements (Råsunda Stadium and Ullevi), they were further apart than what UEFA's regulations recommended. The distance between the stadium's exceeded UEFA's recommended limit of 150 kilometres (93 miles) by a margin of around 244 kilometres (152 miles). However, the distance limit was just a recommendation, not a requirement. As a result, Sweden was approved to host the Finals. To make up for the added travel time, UEFA's Executive Committee added an additional day between the semi-finals and third place play-off plus the final. Subsequently, the Finals were played in Solna [2] and Gothenburg from 5 to 10 June 2005. Furthermore, UEFA, aided by the Swedish FA, provided financial compensation to make up for the added travel costs.

Matches
Historic rivals Sweden and Germany kicked off the Finals in Gothenburg. Counterintuitively, this was Germany's debut and Sweden's second showing at this stage of the competition. Kim Källström, 22, sent the Swedish fans into delirium when he opened the scoring with a great free-kick in the 16th minute. However, the joy was short-lived for the home side as another youngster, Bastian Schweinsteiger, equalized for Germany 14 minutes later. The match was still tied in the 64th minute. Then the ball found its way to Per Mertesacker during a goalmouth scramble. Sweden 1, Germany 2. The Swedes responded well, mounting an extended offensive period that resulted in a 68th-minute equalizer from Johan Elmander. Germany proved even more efficient, though, scoring the winning goal in their first attack since the referee blew his whistle to resume the match after Sweden's celebrations. The Blue and Yellow were again eliminated in the last four of the Finals.

The Czech Republic's golden generation was on the decline and Italy enjoyed a straightforward win against them in the other semi-final thanks to a goal by Daniele De Rossi, denying the Czechs a successful title defence and relegating them to the third place play-off. In that match, Henrik Larsson gave Sweden the lead in the 19th minute with a trademark header. This was outdone by Jan Koller, who equalized with a cool penalty only a few minutes later. However, goals kept coming in rapid succession and Markus Rosenberg made it 2-1 for Sweden in the 26th minute. The rest of the match failed to produce any more goals and Sweden had won their first Nations League medal, leaving the tournament with a price despite the disappointing semi-final defeat.

With Germany and Italy facing off in the final, it was naturally greatly anticipated. De Rossi extended his goal tally by giving Italy the lead in the 39th minute. Half-time came and went, and Alessandro Del Piero extended the Azzurri's lead 12 minutes into the second half. Germany's late consolation goal scored by Robert Huth was never followed up with an equalizer. The final was unexpectedly straightforward for Italy, who have always been an Achilles' heel for Germany. This match was no different, as the Italians became the first to win two Nations League titles.

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[1] Note that the Confederations Cup of this TL is played at a later date than IOTL to not overlap with the Nations League Finals.
[2] Solna is basically a part of Stockholm, but is still officially listed as "Solna" since it's a different municipality.

That concludes the fourth Nations League season of this timeline. I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know what you think.

Stay tuned for the next part!

 

[NTF aka Seb]

Part 13 - Friend or Foe?
2006-07 Season: Introduction and Group Phase Draw ​

The 2006-07 UEFA Nations League was the fifth edition of the tournament, with Italy being the defending champions, having won their second title in 2005. The tiebreakers and match schedule remained the same, with league phase matches being played from September to November 2006 and the Nations League Finals to take place in June 2007. Between that, the interleague play-offs would be played in March. Additionally, the matchup order was changed in accordance with UEFA's Nations League regulations. As always, teams were seeded based on the Nations League overall rankings for the draw.

Since last season, Montenegro had declared their independence from Serbia, following a referendum on 3 June 2006. Subsequently, Serbia and Montenegro’s national team ceased to exist. As the official successor team of the previous football association, Serbia inherited Serbia and Montenegro’s position in Group A3 [1]. Because the referendum was held after the group phase draw, Serbia were displayed in the group while Serbia and Montenegro were visible on the original seeding. Montenegro didn’t become UEFA members until 2007, meaning they couldn’t be retroactively placed in Group D1 following the draw in Montreux, Switzerland on 27 January 2006, as the Executive Committee had done after Kazakhstan was admitted in 2002.

Last season Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland and Wales were relegated from League A while Croatia, Scotland, Serbia and Montenegro, and Ukraine were promoted from League B. Also, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland, Iceland, and Slovenia were relegated from League B while Belarus, Estonia, Hungary and Slovakia were promoted from League C. For the first time ever, two teams were promoted from League D following the interleague play-offs; Andorra and Northern Ireland [2]. Subsequently, the Faroe Islands and Liechtenstein were relegated from League C.

When it came to hosting the 2007 Nations League Finals, Denmark, France, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, and Turkey expressed interest to launch bids should they qualify following the completion of the group phase.

2004-05 UEFA Nations League overall ranking.​

In general, the draw was largely characterized by traditional rivals being in the same group; Bulgaria and Romania, Estonia and Latvia, England and Scotland, Denmark and Sweden to name a few. The Nations League as a whole was unusually spared from controversies, excluding the expected complaints from people that some groups are more competitive than others, as is inevitable with a random draw.

League D

League C

League B

League A

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[1] Note that Serbia and Montenegro still participated at the 2006 FIFA World Cup as IOTL.
[2] Kazakhstan in the 2002-03 season doesn’t count since they qualified directly from the group due to the tournament’s temporary overhaul, not through the interleague play-offs.

That's it. Draw and introduction of the fifth season completed! Let me know your thoughts on the groups as well as potential predictions, or any other thoughts regarding the timeline. I'd love to hear it.

Stay tuned for the next part when League D to C and the interleague play-offs will conclude!

 

[jmmcb94]

Ouch, Scotland in the Group of Death there! Mind you, this is the upwardly mobile Smith/McLeish Scotland, and Shteve McClaren's England, so maybe not as clear cut as at first glance...

 

[NTF aka Seb]

Ouch, Scotland in the Group of Death there! Mind you, this is the upwardly mobile Smith/McLeish Scotland, and Shteve McClaren's England, so maybe not as clear cut as at first glance...

Yeah, a really tough group.

And yes, I found many of the groups, including Group A1, to not be nearly as straightforward as I previously thought upon initially looking at it (even before your comment also pointed it out).

 

[NTF aka Seb]

Part 14 - Achilles' Healy
2006-07 Season: Leagues D to C and the interleague play-offs​

League D
Liechtenstein topped the group in accordance with most people's expectations. On the other hand, Luxembourg somewhat surprisingly finished in second place ahead of the Faroe Islands, who had a season to forget. San Marino's performance was typical, but they were notably undefeated at home, despite failing to win any games.

Matches
Luxembourg 1-0 San Marino
Liechtenstein 3-0 Faroe Islands
San Marino 1-1 Faroe Islands
Luxembourg 0-0 Liechtenstein
San Marino 1-1 Liechtenstein
Faroe Islands 0-1 Luxembourg
Faroe Islands 1-0 San Marino
Liechtenstein 2-1 Luxembourg
Luxembourg 1-1 Faroe Islands
Liechtenstein 2-0 San Marino
San Marino 0-0 Luxembourg
Faroe Islands 1-1 Liechtenstein



League C
Freshly relegated Bosnia and Herzegovina had a pretty poor season despite obtaining a respectable ten points. This paved the way for Macedonia and Cyprus to fight for promotion. In the end, Macedonia won that battle, winning promotion to League B for the first time ever. Cyprus were agonisingly close to also achieving that feat, notably defeating Bosnia and Herzegovina in Nicosia and going undefeated against Macedonia. The Cypriots actually boasted the highest goal tally in the entire division. League C debutants Andorra finished last by a significant margin, but did score one goal and considered the season to be a valuable experience.

Northern Ireland bounced back magnificently after the disastrous debacle that saw them be relegated to League D a couple of seasons ago, winning promotion back to League B for the first time since the inaugural 1998-99 season. This was made possible largely due to the heroics of David Healy who scored all six Northern Ireland goals. Healy's hattrick against Albania was his most prominent display. Still, promotion would've been impossible had it not been for an overall solid team effort. Slovenia, having been relegated last season, failed to top the group, as did Albania, achieving a performance that can be considered typical by their standards. Having barely avoided the interleague play-offs for every season up until now, Azerbaijan found themselves fighting for survival in the division for the first time.

Finland, who were relegated last season, easily won promotion back to League B without losing a match. Georgia finished in a comfortable second place, but were never close to seriously competing for promotion. Armenia's respectable defending was outdone by an inability to score goals. They even lost against Malta. Nevertheless, Armenia avoided the interleague play-offs.

Iceland had a disastrous season, having just been relegated now again finishing fourth in their group, but in League C. Contrastingly, Lithuania were delighted to be promoted to League B for the first time since 2000. Moldova had an average season, while Kazakhstan exceeded expectations by obtaining seven points and avoiding the interleague play-offs.

Three out of four teams that won promotion to League B had not been relegated from the division in the preceding season. UEFA hailed this as a massive success, stating that it "illustrates how the Nations League is enabling national teams to improve in a competitive environment".

Matches
Cyprus 5-1 Andorra
Bosnia and Herzegovina 1-1 Macedonia
Andorra 0-3 Macedonia
Cyprus 4-2 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Andorra 0-3 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Macedonia 0-0 Cyprus
Macedonia 3-0 Andorra
Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-1 Cyprus
Cyprus 1-1 Macedonia
Bosnia and Herzegovina 1-0 Andorra
Andorra 0-1 Cyprus
Macedonia 2-0 Bosnia and Herzegovina

Matches
Azerbaijan 1-0 Northern Ireland
Slovenia 0-0 Albania
Northern Ireland 3-2 Albania
Azerbaijan 1-2 Slovenia
Northern Ireland 1-0 Slovenia
Albania 1-0 Azerbaijan
Albania 0-0 Northern Ireland
Slovenia 1-1 Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan 1-1 Albania
Slovenia 1-0 Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland 2-0 Azerbaijan
Albania 0-0 Slovenia

Matches
Armenia 1-0 Malta
Finland 2-1 Georgia
Malta 0-2 Georgia
Armenia 0-0 Finland
Malta 1-4 Finland
Georgia 1-0 Armenia
Georgia 6-0 Malta
Finland 1-0 Armenia
Armenia 1-1 Georgia
Finland 2-0 Malta
Malta 1-0 Armenia
Georgia 0-2 Finland

Matches
Moldova 1-0 Kazakhstan
Iceland 0-1 Lithuania
Kazakhstan 1-1 Lithuania
Moldova 2-2 Iceland
Kazakhstan 2-0 Iceland
Lithuania 2-1 Moldova
Lithuania 1-1 Kazakhstan
Iceland 1-0 Moldova
Moldova 3-2 Lithuania
Iceland 1-1 Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan 0-0 Moldova
Lithuania 2-0 Iceland



Interleague play-offs
Azerbaijan narrowly eclipsed Andorra in a dull affair. Andorra's inability to score goals punished them even harder in the second round, where Luxembourg defeated them 1-0 to win promotion back to League C for the first time since the inaugural season. Iceland got an early lead in Reykjavik and appeared to be heading towards a relatively comfortable, albeit somewhat boring, win. However, Malta found the equalizer in the 72nd minute. Extra time was required to split the two, and Iceland ran a real risk to suffer the same fate Northern Ireland did in 2003. Fortunately for Iceland, Eiður Guðjohnsen salvaged a winning goal in the 107th minute. In Vaduz against Liechtenstein, it was Malta's turn to score the opener, but the home team equalized as the first half was nearing its end. Neither the second half or extra time could find a winner. Malta proved more potent from the penalty spot, making sure they'd stay in League C as in all preceding seasons except the first one, while Liechtenstein stayed in League D.

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Stay tuned for the next part when Leagues B to A and the 2007 Nations League Finals will conclude!

And yes, I am embarrassingly proud of the title for this part.

 

[NTF aka Seb]

Part 15 - A Clockwork Roja
2006-07 Season: Leagues B to A and the Nations League Finals​

League B
Norway's good display was outdone by an even greater performance by Russia, who won promotion back to League A after a hiatus spanning four years. Belgium's decline continued and they experienced a really poor Nations League season, despite avoiding relegation. However, this was overshadowed by Hungary's completely disastrous campaign that, among other debacles, saw them be demolished by Norway home and away.

After years of struggle, Greece were finally promoted to League A, enjoying a great campaign that saw them concede a single goal. The Republic of Ireland finished comfortably in second, but never mounted a serious challenge for the promotion spot. Additionally, their two 2-2 draws incited much laughter from Irish pundits due to how funny and unusual it sounded two hear the word 'two' be said three times in rapid succession. The matches between Slovakia and Wales were the group's most entertaining. Ultimately, Slovakia's superb 5-1 win in Cardiff made their goal difference superior to that of Wales, who were heading down to League C for the first time since the inaugural season. This was incredibly disappointing for the Dragons, as they had been consecutively relegated.

The natural rivalry between Bulgaria and Romania had become even more amplified thanks to the battles of the 1998-99 and 2002-03 seasons. In 1998, Romania were undoubtedly superior. In 2002, Bulgaria turned the tides, and it was again their turn to shine four years later, as they once more topped their League B group at Romania's expense. Romania dropped a two-goal lead against the Bulgarians in Bucharest, which proved costly. The seemingly eternal League B side Israel once again lived up to that status, enjoying a good, not great, season. However, they notably won all of their home matches. Like clockwork, Belarus were relegated from League B after winning promotion to the division in the preceding season.

After several narrow second-place finishes, Poland convincingly topped Group B4, going undefeated and winning all matches except one. For the first time ever, the Poles would be playing in League A. Switzerland's display was also solid, but not good enough to win promotion to the top division. Latvia and Estonia were both pretty bad, but only one could be relegated. It ended up being Estonia.

Similarly to what happened in League C, UEFA celebrated the fact that three new teams were promoted to League A and not only ones that were just relegated from the top division last season, with Bulgaria being the lone exception.

Matches
Norway 3-0 Hungary
Belgium 0-1 Russia
Hungary 0-2 Russia
Norway 1-0 Belgium
Hungary 1-1 Belgium
Russia 2-1 Norway
Russia 3-0 Hungary
Belgium 0-0 Norway
Norway 2-1 Russia
Belgium 2-0 Hungary
Hungary 1-4 Norway
Russia 2-0 Belgium

Matches
Greece 1-0 Slovakia
Wales 2-2 Republic of Ireland
Slovakia 2-2 Republic of Ireland
Greece 2-0 Wales
Slovakia 2-5 Wales
Republic of Ireland 1-1 Greece
Republic of Ireland 1-0 Slovakia
Wales 0-1 Greece
Greece 1-0 Republic of Ireland
Wales 1-5 Slovakia
Slovakia 0-2 Greece
Republic of Ireland 1-0 Wales

Matches
Romania 3-1 Belarus
Bulgaria 1-1 Israel
Belarus 2-1 Israel
Romania 2-2 Bulgaria
Belarus 0-2 Bulgaria
Israel 1-0 Romania
Israel 2-1 Belarus
Bulgaria 1-0 Romania
Romania 1-0 Israel
Bulgaria 2-1 Belarus
Belarus 1-3 Romania
Israel 2-1 Bulgaria

Matches
Latvia 2-0 Estonia
Switzerland 1-1 Poland
Estonia 0-1 Poland
Latvia 0-1 Switzerland
Estonia 0-1 Switzerland
Poland 2-0 Latvia
Poland 4-0 Estonia
Switzerland 2-0 Latvia
Latvia 0-1 Poland
Switzerland 2-0 Estonia
Estonia 1-1 Latvia
Poland 2-1 Switzerland



League A
Spain qualified for their third Nations League Finals at the expense of reigning champions Italy, who finished close behind. However, the major talking point of Group A1 was that Scotland sensationally finished in third after 1-0 wins against England and mighty Spain, while The Three Lions were relegated from League A for the first time ever. Naturally, this shook the FA up. However, only time will tell if it acted as a true wake-up call that will result in improvements for football in the country.

Germany won Group A2 ahead of France, with the two notably defeating each other away from home. League A debutants Ukraine managed to stay up the division, thanks to an impressive draw against Le Bleus and a win over Austria, who were relegated and only scored a single goal.

Group A3 was complete mayhem. Three teams obtained the same number of points, and Serbia were relegated despite obtaining seven points and having the group's best goal difference. Contrastingly, the Czech Republic topped the group despite having the worst goal difference. This raised eyebrows. Many people expressed that it's unfair that the team with the most points and highest goal difference (Portugal in this case) [1] doesn't qualify for the Finals. Still, UEFA remained resolute on the use of head-to-head results as a tiebreaker. The Czech Republic were now, along with Spain, the only team to qualify for three Nations League Finals, and the first to do so consecutively. Additionally, it's worth noting that the group was almost identical to Group A3 in the 2000-01 season [2].

Several people thought this season would finally be the one where the Netherlands exorcise their demons and qualify for the Finals, but a strong Croatian team came and clinched the spot from under their noses. Sweden avoided relegation and notably defeated the Netherlands and Croatia in Solna. League A veterans Denmark were relegated for the first time ever, despite enjoying a victory over their northern rivals.

Matches
Spain 2-0 Scotland
Italy 0-0 England
Scotland 1-0 England
Spain 1-0 Italy
Scotland 1-2 Italy
England 0-1 Spain
England 2-0 Scotland
Italy 2-1 Spain
Spain 2-1 England
Italy 2-0 Scotland
Scotland 1-0 Spain
England 1-1 Italy

Matches
Austria 1-0 Ukraine
Germany 0-1 France
Ukraine 2-2 France
Austria 0-2 Germany
Ukraine 1-2 Germany
France 1-0 Austria
France 2-0 Ukraine
Germany 1-0 Austria
Austria 0-1 France
Germany 1-0 Ukraine
Ukraine 2-0 Austria
France 1-2 Germany

Matches
Turkey 2-1 Serbia
Czech Republic 1-0 Portugal
Serbia 1-1 Portugal
Turkey 2-2 Czech Republic
Serbia 1-1 Czech Republic
Portugal 2-0 Turkey
Portugal 1-1 Serbia
Czech Republic 1-0 Turkey
Turkey 2-1 Portugal
Czech Republic 1-3 Serbia
Serbia 2-2 Turkey
Portugal 2-1 Czech Republic

Matches
Netherlands 0-0 Croatia
Sweden 0-0 Denmark
Croatia 2-1 Denmark
Netherlands 1-0 Sweden
Croatia 2-1 Sweden
Denmark 1-1 Netherlands
Denmark 2-2 Croatia
Sweden 2-1 Netherlands
Netherlands 2-1 Denmark
Sweden 2-0 Croatia
Croatia 1-0 Netherlands
Denmark 2-1 Sweden



2007 UEFA Nations League Finals
With the group phase completed, Croatia, Germany and Spain launched bids to host the Nations League Finals. Croatia's stadium capacity, although satisfactory, was inferior to that of Germany and Spain. Ultimately, Spain's bid was chosen over Germany's. It is widely believed that Germany's recent hosting of the FIFA World Cup combined with Spain's previous bids to host the Finals, and by extension greater skill and experience when it comes to these campaigns, gave Spain's bid an edge. However, despite Spain's abundance of sufficient stadiums, deciding which to use was no easy task. The Spanish FA opted to not let venues in Barcelona or Madrid host the Finals, as it risked "polarizing rival fans instead of uniting them in their support for the national team". Seville was ultimately decided as the host city for the Finals. Not that there weren't big rivalries in Seville too, but the Spanish FA considered it the most suitable option, especially with the stadium capacity taken into account. The Finals were played between 5-9 June 2007 at Estadio Manuel Ruiz de Lopera [3] and the relatively newly built La Cartuja.

In the opening match, Croatia mounted the first offense against Spain. Darijo Srna played a ball into the penalty box, only for Carles Puyol to head it into his own net in a failed attempt to defend. Classic own goal one could say. Nevertheless, Spain fought back with confidence and almost constantly had the upper hand. In the 39th minute, they win one of many corners. Puyol jumped up resolutely, and headed the ball into the goal with even greater potency, finding redemption for his previous mistake. Spain 1, Croatia 1. David Villa subsequently gave Spain the lead 30 minutes into the second half after a good individual performance in what was ultimately a pretty comfortable win for the hosts.

Germany were expected to easily soar to their second consecutive Nations League final. The critics were proven critically wrong. Libor Sionko gave the Czech Republic a sensational lead after less than two minutes. Germany looked shock and the Czechs perfectly capitalised on this momentum by doubling their lead in the 23rd minute after a goal from Marek Matějovský, his only ever for the national team. Half time came and went, and Germany didn't seem to improve, despite having received the opportunity to collect their thoughts and rethink strategies. In stark contrast, the Czech Republic started the second half where they ended the first, playing well and extending their lead again in the 63rd minute thanks to Jaroslav Plašil. The scoreline defied belief [4], as the Czech Republic become only the second team in Nations League history to reach two finals.

Germany's performance didn't see any big improvements in the third place play-off, as goals from Srna and Ivica Olić secured Croatia their first-ever Nations League medal. Lukas Podolski's goal in the 76th minute only served as consolation.

The final seemed to be Spain's to win from the start, with the Czech players struggling to keep up. Andres Iniesta opened the scoring around halfway through the first 45 minutes, and David Villa extended La Roja's lead almost immediately after the second half began. Then it was merely a matter of maintaining possession, like clockwork, and not making any major mistakes. As the Czech Republic mounted one of a very limited amount of attacks throughout the match, an attempted cross struck the hand of Sergio Ramos in the penalty area. Milan Baroš converted the spot kick emphatically, but as the three added minutes were surpassed over a minute ago, he knew it would only serve as consolation, and Spain won their first Nations League title.

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[1] Serbia's goal difference was technically better than Portugal's, but their point tally was still inferior.
[2] Note that Serbia is the official successor team of FR Yugoslavia.
[3] Is now called 'Estadio Benito Villamarín'.
[4] If you think this scoreline is ASB, keep in mind that the Czech Republic really did defeat Germany 3-0 (away) in Euro 2008 qualifying.

That concludes the fifth Nations League season of this timeline. I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know what you think.

Stay tuned for the next part, where we will see a new team join.

 

[jmmcb94]

Ehooooooh, dear!

Mind you, this could be a blessing for England if Shteve is fired now, then they'd almost certainly qualify for the Euros...

 

[NTF aka Seb]

Ehooooooh, dear!

Mind you, this could be a blessing for England if Shteve is fired now, then they'd almost certainly qualify for the Euros...

Yeah, likely a blessing in disguise that would improve England's chances of qualifying for Euro 2008.

However, it's still far from certain, especially given the qualification format ITTL...

 

[NTF aka Seb]

Part 16 - Mismatched
2008-09 Season: Introduction and Group Phase Draw​

The 2008-09 UEFA Nations League was the sixth edition of the tournament, with Spain being the reigning champions, having won their first title in 2007. The tiebreakers and match schedule remained the same, with league phase matches being played from September to November 2008 and the Nations League Finals to take place in June 2009. Between that, the interleague play-offs would be played in March. Additionally, the matchup order was changed in accordance with UEFA's Nations League regulations. As always, teams were seeded based on the Nations League overall rankings of the previous season for the draw, which was conducted on 2 December 2007 in Lucerne, Switzerland.

Because this season marked the ten-year anniversary of the tournament, there were discussions about doing something special to celebrate the occasion. Some of the most notable suggestions included having eight teams at the 2009 Finals instead of the standard four, or having them be hosted by more than one nation. The UEFA Executive Committee eventually landed on something less controversial, as it was decided that Gheorghe Hagi, who captained Romania's 1999 title-winning side, would be the one presenting players with medals in the 2009 final.

Montenegro were eligible to join the Nations League this season, having been granted full membership by UEFA on 26 January 2007. As was standard when a new team was admitted, Montenegro were placed in League D, meaning the division would contain five teams for the first time since 2002. However, the format wasn’t overhauled this time. The top two teams would qualify for the interleague play-offs as usual.

Last season saw Austria, Denmark, England and Serbia be relegated from League A while Bulgaria, Greece, Poland and Russia were promoted from League B. Also, Belarus, Estonia, Hungary and Wales were relegated from League B while Finland, Lithuania, Macedonia and Northern Ireland were promoted from League C. Following the interleague play-offs, Andorra were relegated from League C and Luxembourg were promoted from League D.

When it came to hosting the 2009 Finals, France, Germany, Greece, Netherlands, Russia and Scotland expressed interest to launch bids should they qualify following the completion of the group phase.

2006-07 UEFA Nations League overall rankings.​

Montenegro in League D was considered a major mismatch, but it wasn't a controversy as much as simply a statement of fact. Essentially everyone accepted that new member associations are placed in League D by default, and considered it fair. League C were spared from controversies, but Group C4 notably contained two League B staples in Wales and Slovenia. In League B, the main talking point was that England had been relegated to the division last season, and that the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland were in the same group, just like in the inaugural season. Some people argued that League A appeared weaker than usual, but it didn't result in any significant squabbles.

League D

League C

League B

League A

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That's it. Draw and introduction of the sixth season completed! This is moving by faster than expected, but I still love doing it. Let me know your thoughts on the groups as well as potential predictions, or any other thoughts regarding the timeline. I'd love to hear it.

You know the drill. Stay tuned for the next part when League D to C and the interleague play-offs will conclude!

 

[NTF aka Seb]

Part 17 - Newcomers
2008-09 Season: Leagues D to C and the interleague play-offs​

League D
Newcomers Montenegro easily topped Group D1, though not as emphatically as most people expected. The Faroe Islands exceeded expectations and finished comfortably in second, notably winning four matches 2-1. Liechtenstein were in the middle of the pack and never posed a serious threat when it came to qualifying for the interleague play-offs. Newly relegated Andorra underperformed and even lost against San Marino, who won their first match since 2000.

Matches
Andorra 1-0 San Marino
Liechtenstein 0-0 Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands 2-1 Andorra
San Marino 0-2 Montenegro
Montenegro 2-1 Faroe Islands
Andorra 0-0 Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein 1-1 Montenegro
Faroe Islands 2-0 San Marino
San Marino 1-1 Liechtenstein
Montenegro 2-0 Andorra
San Marino 1-0 Andorra
Faroe Islands 2-1 Liechtenstein
Andorra 1-2 Faroe Islands
Montenegro 3-0 San Marino
Faroe Islands 0-0 Montenegro
Liechtenstein 1-0 Andorra
Montenegro 1-0 Liechtenstein
San Marino 1-2 Faroe Islands
Liechtenstein 1-0 San Marino
Andorra 0-1 Montenegro




League C
Hungary showed real signs of improvement since last season, but Bosnia and Herzegovina eclipsed them, winning all matches but one and notably putting seven goals past Malta. Georgia were much worse than expected, even losing 2-0 against Malta, but still avoided relegation due to defeating the Maltese by the same margin in Tbilisi thanks to a late goal. Additionally, Georgia were forced to play their "home" match against Bosnia and Herzegovina at a different venue because of the 2008 South Ossetia war. The original replacement venue was the Wildparkstadion in Karlsruhe, Germany, but the ground became unavailable, so it was moved to the Stadion am Bruchweg in Mainz. In fairness, the war was likely a contributing factor to Georgia's lacklustre display.

As had almost become tradition, Belarus topped their League C group, having been relegated to the division last season. They started becoming known as "The Yo-Yo" to many Belarussians. Cyprus did well to finish second, despite suffering a 6-1 demolition against Albania, who finished third. Azerbaijan finished fourth and were never a serious promotion contender.

Estonia won promotion back to League B, though by the skin of their teeth. Kazakhstan defeated the Estonians 2-0 in Tallinn and had an overall superior goal difference. Fortunately for Estonia, Kazakhstan suffered a shocking home defeat against newcomers Luxembourg in September, costing them a ticket out of League C. Despite the upset and going undefeated against Moldova over two fixtures, freshly promoted Luxembourg were heading to the interleague play-offs. Moldova had a forgettable campaign, but managed to stay up and notably trumped Kazakhstan.

Group C4 was quite straightforward. Slovenia won it convincingly, going undefeated, while Wales and Iceland finished comfortably in the middle, with Armenia heading to the interleague play-offs.

Matches
Georgia 1-2 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Hungary 3-0 Malta
Bosnia and Herzegovina 7-0 Malta
Hungary 2-1 Georgia
Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-1 Hungary
Malta 2-0 Georgia
Georgia 0-1 Hungary
Malta 0-2 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Hungary 1-1 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Georgia 2-0 Malta
Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-1 Georgia
Malta 0-1 Hungary

Matches
Cyprus 2-0 Albania
Belarus 2-0 Azerbaijan
Albania 1-0 Azerbaijan
Belarus 2-1 Cyprus
Albania 1-1 Belarus
Azerbaijan 1-1 Cyprus
Cyprus 2-1 Belarus
Azerbaijan 1-1 Albania
Belarus 1-0 Albania
Cyprus 2-0 Azerbaijan
Albania 6-1 Cyprus
Azerbaijan 0-1 Belarus

Matches
Moldova 1-0 Kazakhstan
Estonia 1-0 Luxembourg
Kazakhstan 1-2 Luxembourg
Estonia 1-0 Moldova
Kazakhstan 2-2 Estonia
Luxembourg 0-0 Moldova
Moldova 1-1 Estonia
Luxembourg 0-1 Kazakhstan
Estonia 0-2 Kazakhstan
Moldova 0-0 Luxembourg
Kazakhstan 2-0 Moldova
Luxembourg 1-2 Estonia

Matches
Slovenia 2-0 Armenia
Wales 2-2 Iceland
Armenia 0-2 Iceland
Wales 1-1 Slovenia
Armenia 2-1 Wales
Iceland 1-1 Slovenia
Slovenia 2-1 Wales
Iceland 1-0 Armenia
Wales 1-0 Armenia
Slovenia 1-0 Iceland
Armenia 0-2 Slovenia
Iceland 0-1 Wales




Interleague play-offs
The match between Luxembourg and Azerbaijan was decided by three goals in rapid succession. Farid Guliyev gave the Azeris the lead in the 28th minute, only for Luxembourg to equalize through Jeff Strasser in the 34th. Less than three minutes later, Elvin Mammadov restored Azerbaijan's lead with a cool finish. The scoreline remained unchanged, meaning Luxembourg's fate would be determined by a match against the Faroe Islands. It was a dull affair that was ultimately won by the Faroese due to a correctly awarded and converted penalty early in the second half. Meanwhile, Armenia enjoyed a comfortable 2-0 win over Malta in Yerevan in the first round. However, newcomers Montenegro enjoyed an even more comfortable win in round two, putting three goals past them. Malta were heading down to League D for the first time since the inaugural season.

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Stay tuned for the next part when Leagues B to A and the 2009 Nations League Finals will conclude!

 

[NTF aka Seb]

Part 18 - Possessed Possession
2008-09 Season: Leagues B to A and the Nations League Finals​

League B
England, having been shockingly relegated last season, now easily won promotion back to League A. Neither Norway nor Israel were close to topping the group, but comfortably avoided relegation, unlike newly promoted Macedonia.

Serbia won Group B2, closely followed by a Slovakian side that exceeded expectations. It was the first time Slovakia played in League B without being relegated. Switzerland finished in an unassuming third place yet were never close to being relegated, unlike Finland, who were heading back down to League C.

Austria topped Group B3, despite having a worse goal difference than Lithuania. The freshly promoted Lithuanians had a good season, most notably stunning Romania 3-0 in Bucharest. Nevertheless, Austria obtained one crucial additional point. Romania had a pretty poor campaign, obtaining just one more point than relegated Latvia, who did pick up a couple of notable wins. Finishing fourth with a point tally as high as seven, as Latvia did, is really rare.

Denmark were heading back up to League A from Group B4, with the Republic of Ireland four points behind. Despite going undefeated, the Irish's triumph over their northern neighbours ended up being their only one. Belgium's underwhelming era continued. Their only win was at home against Northern Ireland, who returned the favour in Belfast. Ultimately, Belgium remained in the division by the skin of their teeth, courtesy of a superior head-to-head goal difference against Northern Ireland.

This season notably saw every nation that had been relegated from League A in 2006 regain promotion to the top flight, which was widely regarded as something negative, since one of the Nations League's main purposes was to "enable traditionally smaller national teams to improve". However, other seasons had seen the opposite, so it wasn't exactly a disaster.

Matches
Norway 2-2 Israel
England 4-0 Macedonia
Israel 2-0 Macedonia
England 2-0 Norway
Israel 1-2 England
Macedonia 0-0 Norway
Norway 0-0 England
Macedonia 1-1 Israel
England 2-1 Israel
Norway 2-1 Macedonia
Israel 1-1 Norway
Macedonia 1-2 England

Matches
Switzerland 2-0 Slovakia
Serbia 2-0 Finland
Slovakia 2-1 Finland
Serbia 2-2 Switzerland
Slovakia 2-1 Serbia
Finland 3-2 Switzerland
Switzerland 1-2 Serbia
Finland 0-1 Slovakia
Serbia 2-1 Slovakia
Switzerland 1-0 Finland
Slovakia 2-2 Switzerland
Finland 0-3 Serbia

Matches
Romania 1-0 Latvia
Austria 2-1 Lithuania
Latvia 2-1 Lithuania
Austria 2-1 Romania
Latvia 1-0 Austria
Lithuania 0-1 Romania
Romania 1-1 Austria
Lithuania 2-1 Latvia
Austria 3-1 Latvia
Romania 0-3 Lithuania
Latvia 1-1 Romania
Lithuania 2-0 Austria

Matches
Republic of Ireland 1-1 Belgium
Denmark 1-0 Northern Ireland
Belgium 2-0 Northern Ireland
Denmark 1-1 Republic of Ireland
Belgium 2-3 Denmark
Northern Ireland 0-0 Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland 0-0 Denmark
Northern Ireland 2-1 Belgium
Denmark 2-0 Belgium
Republic of Ireland 1-0 Northern Ireland
Belgium 2-2 Republic of Ireland
Northern Ireland 1-1 Denmark




League A
Newly promoted Russia topped the group since Portugal suffered from an inability to clinch wins. The Czech Republic's golden era appeared to be over, as they failed to qualify for the Finals for the first time since the 2000-01 season and obtained an underwhelming five points. Still, they avoided relegation at Scotland's expense.

The mighty reigning champions Spain convincingly won Group A2, with Italy, who'd also accompanied La Roja in their group last season, a whole seven points behind. Bulgaria managed to avoid relegation, courtesy of their two away goals in their entertaining draw against Turkey in Istanbul. However, it again raised concerns regarding the tiebreakers from some directions, as Turkey had a superior goal difference. Still, the controversy never blew out of proportion and the tiebreakers wouldn't see any changes, while Turkey were relegated to League B for the first time since the inaugural season.

Prior to 2008, the Netherlands' Nations League history was characterized by near-misses, "chokes", and tumbling at the finish lines. The Dutch finally exorcised their demons by qualifying for their first Finals, notably beating Germany in Amsterdam en route. Die Mannschaft did have a decent season, albeit one that wasn't satisfactory by German standards. Ukraine had a good season which saw them steal points away from both Germany and the Netherlands, not to mention defeat Poland. The Poles only obtained a single point and were heading back down to League B.

France comfortably won Group A4, five points clear of runners-up Croatia. Greece avoided relegation, mostly thanks to their surprising away win against the Croatians. Meanwhile, Sweden were relegated for the first time ever. The Swedes were as defensively solid as usual, but suffered from an inability to score goals.

Matches
Portugal 1-0 Scotland
Czech Republic 1-2 Russia
Scotland 0-0 Russia
Czech Republic 1-1 Portugal
Scotland 2-1 Czech Republic
Russia 1-1 Portugal
Portugal 0-0 Czech Republic
Russia 2-0 Scotland
Czech Republic 1-0 Scotland
Portugal 1-1 Russia
Scotland 0-1 Portugal
Russia 2-1 Czech Republic

Matches
Italy 1-0 Turkey
Spain 1-0 Bulgaria
Turkey 2-2 Bulgaria
Spain 1-0 Italy
Turkey 1-2 Spain
Bulgaria 0-0 Italy
Italy 1-1 Spain
Bulgaria 0-0 Turkey
Spain 1-0 Turkey
Italy 2-0 Bulgaria
Turkey 1-1 Italy
Bulgaria 1-2 Spain

Matches
Netherlands 3-0 Ukraine
Germany 2-0 Poland
Ukraine 1-0 Poland
Germany 1-1 Netherlands
Ukraine 1-1 Germany
Poland 1-2 Netherlands
Netherlands 2-1 Germany
Poland 1-1 Ukraine
Germany 2-1 Ukraine
Netherlands 3-0 Poland
Ukraine 1-1 Netherlands
Poland 0-1 Germany

Matches
France 1-0 Sweden
Croatia 1-2 Greece
Sweden 2-0 Greece
Croatia 3-1 France
Sweden 0-0 Croatia
Greece 1-1 France
France 2-1 Croatia
Greece 0-0 Sweden
Croatia 1-0 Sweden
France 2-1 Greece
Sweden 2-3 France
Greece 1-1 Croatia




2009 UEFA Nations League Finals

Host selection
France, the Netherlands and Russia launched bids to host the Nations League Finals following the completion of the group phase. Spain were ineligible to do so as they had hosted the preceding Finals. Russia were simultaneously working on getting hosting rights for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and their FA stated that these Finals “gave [Russia] the opportunity to showcase their potential as a suitable host for a major tournament”. This was met with significant ridicule by pundits, as it seemed improbable, almost laughable, that Russia would be awarded World Cup hosting rights instead of England, Belgium-Netherlands, or Portugal-Spain. Somewhat similarly, France were attempting to obtain the rights to organize UEFA Euro 2016 around this time, though that bid was taken much more seriously. When it came to arranging the Nations League Finals, Russia’s bid was rejected as their sufficient stadiums exceeded UEFA's distance recommendation of 150 kilometres (93 miles). The remaining candidates, France and the Netherlands would both make excellent hosts, as the two had great venues well within the advised distance. However, there could only be one. In the end, UEFA’s Executive Committee awarded hosting rights to France, courtesy of their slightly higher stadium capacity. The Finals were played from 5 to 9 June at Stade de France in Saint-Denis [1] and Parc des Princes in Paris, which were only 15 kilometres (9 miles) apart. As always, the ties were decided by an open draw.

Matches
The Netherlands were better than hosts France from the moment the opening whistle sounded. Accordingly, Dirk Kuyt gave the Dutch the lead through a rebound left by a dangerous Wesley Sneijder strike. Oranje kept dominating and Le Bleus could count themselves lucky to only be one goal down at half-time. Robin van Persie doubled their lead in the 59th minute and seemed to have sealed the match. However, France were awarded a pretty cheap, albeit not blatantly wrong penalty 21 minutes later, which was easily converted by Karim Benzema. Regardless, the Netherlands won 2-1, a deceivingly even scoreline.

In the other semi-final, Spain displayed prime tiki-taka football, as they soared to a comfortable win against a decent Russian team, with goals scored by Xavi, Fernando Torres, and Juan Mata. The third place play-off was also straightforward, despite not being as entertaining. France won it thanks to a good individual goal by Thierry Henry.

The final was initially quite hesitant from both sides, but opened up more as it progressed. However, it was goalless after the opening 45 minutes. Early in the second half, a brilliantly perceptive and perfectly timed pass by Wesley Sneijder found its way to Arjen Robben, who won his subsequent duel against Iker Casillas, sending the Dutch into delirium. Spain responded brilliantly, though, appearing more focused despite falling behind, while the Netherlands appeared unusually nervous for a team leading in a final. Spain's previous final experience, including Euro 2008, was likely a greatly helpful factor. La Roja maintained staggering possession, while the Dutch were forced to rack up more and more tactical yellow cards. In the 78th minute, a series of brilliant passes resulted in a composed finish by David Villa, making him the first player to score in two different finals. As extra time began, the match kept following the same trend. The only difference was that both teams played safer. Minutes into the second half of extra time, a towering header by Sergio Ramos from a corner made sure La Roja were victorious, making Spain the first nation to successfully defend their title, being presented their medals by Gheorghe Hagi.

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[1] Note that Saint-Denis is technically considered to be its own city, despite essentially being a part of Paris.

That concludes the sixth Nations League season of this timeline. I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know what you think.

 

[NTF aka Seb]

Part 19 - Greatly Anticipated
2010-11 Season: Introduction and Group Phase Draw​

The 2010-11 UEFA Nations League was the seventh season of the tournament, with Spain being the defending champions, having won their second consecutive title in 2009. The tiebreakers and match schedule remained the same, with league phase matches being played from September to November 2010 and the Nations League Finals to take place in June 2011. Between that, the interleague play-offs would be played in March. Additionally, the matchup order was changed in accordance with UEFA's Nations League regulations. As always, teams were seeded based on the Nations League overall rankings of the previous season for the draw, which was conducted on 7 February 2010 in Warsaw, Poland. It was notably the first Nations League draw held in Eastern Europe.

Last season saw Poland, Scotland, Sweden and Turkey be relegated from League A while Austria, Denmark, England and Serbia were promoted from League B. Also, Finland, Latvia, Macedonia and Northern Ireland were relegated from League B while Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Estonia and Slovenia were promoted from League C. Additionally, following the interleague play-offs, Luxembourg and Malta were relegated from League C while the Faroe Islands and newly admitted Montenegro were promoted from League D.

When it came to organizing the 2011 Finals, France, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands and Russia expressed interest in launching bids should they qualify following the completion of the group phase.

Teams seeded ahead of the draw according to the overall rankings of the 2008-09 season.​

Luxembourg and especially Malta were back in League D after a long absence. Following Montenegro's admittance to UEFA and subsequent promotion to League C in the preceding season, the division was tougher than ever, which was greatly anticipated. England, Italy and Spain were notably in the same group yet again. By now, the three were more than tired of always being placed in such competitive groups. Some England fans, in particular, (arguably jokingly) expressed that they thought the draw was rigged. Nevertheless, the matches were of course greatly anticipated regardless. League B was spared from controversies.

League D

League C

League B

League A

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That's it. Draw and introduction of the seventh season completed! Can't believe how far we've come. You know the drill, let me know your thoughts on the groups as well as potential predictions, or any other thoughts regarding the timeline. I'd love to hear it.

Stay tuned for the next part when League D to C and the interleague play-offs will conclude!

 

[NTF aka Seb]

Part 20 - Free-Scoring Armenians
2010-11 Season: League D to C and the interleague play-offs​

League D
Just like in the 2006-07 season, Liechtenstein topped Group D1 ahead of Luxembourg. Newly relegated Malta surprisingly failed to reach the interleague play-offs, while Andorra and San Marino had typically poor campaigns.

Matches
Luxembourg 2-1 Andorra
Malta 1-1 Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein 2-0 Luxembourg
Andorra 0-0 San Marino
San Marino 0-1 Liechtenstein
Luxembourg 2-1 Malta
Malta 2-0 San Marino
Liechtenstein 1-0 Andorra
Andorra 0-1 Malta
San Marino 0-1 Luxembourg
Andorra 0-0 Luxembourg
Liechtenstein 2-1 Malta
Luxembourg 1-1 Liechtenstein
San Marino 0-1 Andorra
Liechtenstein 2-0 San Marino
Malta 1-1 Luxembourg
San Marino 0-1 Malta
Andorra 0-0 Liechtenstein
Malta 2-1 Andorra
Luxembourg 2-0 San Marino



League C
Wales won Group C1 and made a return to League B after a season's hiatus, with freshly relegated Latvia three points behind. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan barely avoided the interleague play-offs at Iceland's expense.

Group C2 saw Albania win promotion to League B for the first time in their history, largely due to their two wins against freshly admitted and promoted Montenegro, who were respectable and finished in second place. Macedonia, having played in League B in the preceding season, failed to get back up now. Nevertheless, it was Kazakhstan who were heading to the play-offs, despite notably defeating Macedonia in Astana.

Similarly to Wales, Hungary returned to League B after a season's absence, a whole nine points clear of runners-up Northern Ireland, who failed to be promoted after their relegation in the previous campaign. Moldova finished in third with six points, while the Faroe Islands were heading to the play-offs as usual.

Group C4 saw another team win their maiden promotion to League B, Armenia. Despite losing to Georgia on matchday one, the Armenians bounced back magnificently and scored four goals in each of their final two matches to top the group. Subsequently, Georgia were not promoted. Finland suffered their worst season up until now, finishing third despite having a positive goal difference. The group's constellation was notably identical to Group C3 of the 2006-07 season, which saw Finland finishing first ahead of Georgia and Armenia. Now the tides had turned. The only different team was Cyprus, who were heading to the play-offs. Having nearly been promoted in the two preceding season, obtaining a measly two points was undoubtedly a major disappointment for the Cypriots.

Matches
Azerbaijan 1-0 Iceland
Latvia 1-0 Wales
Azerbaijan 2-1 Latvia
Wales 2-1 Iceland
Wales 2-1 Azerbaijan
Iceland 1-1 Latvia
Latvia 1-0 Azerbaijan
Iceland 1-1 Wales
Azerbaijan 0-1 Wales
Latvia 1-0 Iceland
Wales 2-1 Latvia
Iceland 1-0 Azerbaijan

Matches
Montenegro 0-1 Albania
Macedonia 2-1 Kazakhstan
Montenegro 1-0 Macedonia
Kazakhstan 1-1 Albania
Kazakhstan 0-1 Montenegro
Albania 0-0 Macedonia
Macedonia 2-1 Montenegro
Albania 1-0 Kazakhstan
Montenegro 1-0 Kazakhstan
Macedonia 0-0 Albania
Kazakhstan 2-1 Macedonia
Albania 3-2 Montenegro

Matches
Faroe Islands 1-1 Moldova
Northern Ireland 0-0 Hungary
Faroe Islands 1-1 Northern Ireland
Hungary 2-1 Moldova
Hungary 2-1 Faroe Islands
Moldova 1-1 Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland 4-0 Faroe Islands
Moldova 0-2 Hungary
Faroe Islands 0-1 Hungary
Northern Ireland 0-0 Moldova
Hungary 2-1 Northern Ireland
Moldova 2-1 Faroe Islands

Matches
Armenia 1-2 Georgia
Finland 1-0 Cyprus
Armenia 0–0 Finland
Cyprus 1-1 Georgia
Cyprus 1-2 Armenia
Georgia 0-0 Finland
Finland 2-2 Armenia
Georgia 1-0 Cyprus
Armenia 4-1 Cyprus
Finland 1-1 Georgia
Cyprus 0-0 Finland
Georgia 0-4 Armenia




Interleague play-offs
Iceland enjoyed a routine win against the Faroe Islands in Reykjavik, courtesy of goals from Heiðar Helguson and Hallgrímur Jónasson in each half. Luxembourg versus the Faroe Islands was a common matchup in the interleague play-offs, most recently won by the Faroe Islands in 2009. This time it was Luxembourg's turn to triumph, even though the match failed to produce any goals. Nevertheless, the Faroe Islands were eclipsed by the home side on penalties, meaning Luxembourg were heading back up to League C.

Astana was blessed with a much more entertaining affair. Efstathios Aloneftis opened the scoring for visitors Cyprus after only four minutes, a scoreline which lasted throughout the first half. In the 58th minute, Sergey Gridin equalized for Kazakhstan only for Ioannis Okkas to restore Cyprus' lead a few minutes later. However, almost instantly after kick-off, Gridin secured his brace and made it 2-2. The home side proved more potent from the penalty spot and won the subsequent shootout, as the match didn't see any additional goals. Cyprus needed a result against Liechtenstein in Vaduz to avoid relegation. Philippe Erne sent the Cypriots into shock when he gave Liechtenstein an early lead, which was extended by a 35-year-old Mario Frick later in the half. Okkas scored a consolation goal right on the stroke of half-time, but it proved ultimately irrelevant. Liechtenstein were sensationally again promoted to League C, while Cyprus suffered relegation for the first time.

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Stay tuned for the next part when Leagues B to A and the 2011 Nations League Finals will conclude! Can't believe we've already come this far.

 

[NTF aka Seb]

Part 21 - Record-Breaking
2010-11 Season: League B to A and the Nations League Finals​

League B
Norway barely topped Group B1 and returned to League A for the first time since 2000 ahead of Poland, who were going to co-host the upcoming UEFA Euro with Ukraine. Belgium could only achieve a third-place finish, despite their emerging young talent. It was a little too soon, though. Slovenia ended up being relegated back to League C, even though they notably defeated Poland away. Additionally, the group notably saw a spectacular 4-4 draw between Belgium and Poland.

After years of struggling in League C and occasionally making it to League B only to be instantly relegated, it was finally Bosnia and Herzegovina's time to shine. They'd finally be given a chance in the premier division, while promotion narrowly eluded Turkey. In typical fashion, Israel finished third. Having experienced a solid 2008-09 season, Slovakia now suffered a disappointing relegation.

The fight for promotion in Group B3 was a two-horse race ultimately won by Switzerland thanks to their superior goal difference. At the same time, Scotland's inability to find the back of the net denied them a place in League A. The Swiss last were in the top flight in 2004. Belarus broke their trend of immediate relegation from League B by obtaining a solid eight points at the expense of Lithuania, who were heading back to League C after enjoying a good spell last season.

Sweden easily won promotion back to League A, having been relegated in the preceding season. The Republic of Ireland clinched second place, despite never appearing to be a major promotion contender. On the final matchday, Estonia twice lead Romania in Bucharest, a scoreline that would see the Estonians remain in the division. However, the match ultimately finished 3-3, meaning Romania were spared from relegation.

Matches
Slovenia 0-0 Belgium
Poland 1-0 Norway
Slovenia 0-1 Poland
Norway 1-0 Belgium
Norway 1-1 Slovenia
Belgium 4-4 Poland
Poland 0-1 Slovenia
Belgium 1-1 Norway
Slovenia 1-2 Norway
Poland 1-2 Belgium
Norway 2-2 Poland
Belgium 1-1 Slovenia

Matches
Bosnia and Herzegovina 1-0 Israel
Turkey 3-1 Slovakia
Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-1 Turkey
Slovakia 0-0 Israel
Slovakia 2-3 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Israel 1-0 Turkey
Turkey 2-0 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Israel 1-1 Slovakia
Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-1 Slovakia
Turkey 2-1 Israel
Slovakia 1-1 Turkey
Israel 1-1 Bosnia and Herzegovina

Matches
Belarus 0-0 Switzerland
Scotland 1-0 Lithuania
Belarus 0-0 Scotland
Lithuania 0-0 Switzerland
Lithuania 0-2 Belarus
Switzerland 1-0 Scotland
Scotland 1-0 Belarus
Switzerland 4-1 Lithuania
Belarus 2-1 Lithuania
Scotland 1-0 Switzerland
Lithuania 0-0 Scotland
Switzerland 2-0 Belarus

Matches
Estonia 1-1 Romania
Sweden 2-1 Republic of Ireland
Estonia 0-1 Sweden
Republic of Ireland 1-0 Romania
Republic of Ireland 0-0 Estonia
Romania 2-1 Sweden
Sweden 2-1 Estonia
Romania 1-1 Republic of Ireland
Estonia 0-3 Republic of Ireland
Sweden 2-1 Romania
Republic of Ireland 1-2 Sweden
Romania 3-3 Estonia



League A
The Netherlands won Group A1 as expected, qualifying for consecutive Nations League Finals. Croatia finished in a close second and also enjoyed a solid season. The Czech Republic weren't great, but still good enough to avoid relegation. On the other hand, Serbia were horrible and arguably even disgraceful, as a minority of idiotic fans rioted in the away match against Croatia, forcing it to be abandoned.

Favorites Spain topped the highly competitive Group A2 as anticipated, despite notably losing away against both England and Italy. La Roja extended their record by qualifying for their fifth Finals and third consecutive one. The newly promoted Three Lions found redemption in League A after a couple of struggling seasons, but narrowly missed out on the Finals. Italy finished in third and were never close to relegation, unlike Bulgaria, who were heading back down to League B after a dreadful campaign in a group that, to be fair, was really difficult.

In Group A3, Germany were historic by becoming the second team in Nations League history, after the Czech Republic in 1998, to completely sweep a group. In fact, Die Mannschaft was the very first team to do so in League A. Greece finished second, despite obtaining a whole 10 fewer points than the Germans. Russia were close behind the Greeks with a point tally of six, while Austria were quite poor and subsequently relegated.

Excluding Denmark's slip-up in the 2006-07 season, they were an established League A staple who had a history of both narrowly avoiding relegation and just missing out on the Finals. Now the Danes finally won a group in the top division, largely thanks to their potency on home soil where they were triumphant in every match, even against France and Portugal. However, Denmark's crowning moment didn't come in Copenhagen, but Kyiv, as they defeated the Ukrainians there on the final matchday to secure a spot in the Finals. France and Portugal enjoyed respectable point tallies, but any season that doesn't see them reach the Finals will be labelled a disappointment by the fans. Ukraine were relegated from the tough group, despite picking up a solid home win against Portugal.

Matches
Serbia 1-1 Czech Republic
Netherlands 2-0 Croatia
Serbia 1-1 Netherlands
Croatia 4-2 Czech Republic
Croatia 3-0* Serbia
Czech Republic 0-1 Netherlands
Netherlands 4-1 Serbia
Czech Republic 1-1 Croatia
Serbia 1-2 Croatia
Netherlands 2-1 Czech Republic
Croatia 2-2 Netherlands
Czech Republic 1-0 Serbia

Matches
England 4-0 Bulgaria
Spain 2-1 Italy
England 1-0 Spain
Italy 2-0 Bulgaria
Italy 0-0 England
Bulgaria 0-3 Spain
Spain 2-0 England
Bulgaria 2-2 Italy
England 0-0 Italy
Spain 3-1 Bulgaria
Italy 2-1 Spain
Bulgaria 0-3 England

Matches
Austria 1-2 Greece
Russia 0-1 Germany
Austria 2-3 Russia
Germany 3-1 Greece
Germany 5-1 Austria
Greece 1-1 Russia
Russia 0-0 Austria
Greece 1-2 Germany
Austria 0-2 Germany
Russia 0-0 Greece
Germany 3-1 Russia
Greece 2-0 Austria

Matches
Denmark 1-0 Ukraine
France 0-0 Portugal
Denmark 1-0 France
Portugal 1-0 Ukraine
Portugal 3-1 Denmark
Ukraine 1-4 France
France 1-0 Denmark
Ukraine 1-0 Portugal
Denmark 2-1 Portugal
France 2-0 Ukraine
Portugal 1-1 France
Ukraine 0-1 Denmark



2011 UEFA Nations League Finals
Spain were ineligible to host the Finals due to having organized them in 2007, leaving Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands as the eligible candidates. Denmark's bid was rejected quite quickly. Their stadium capacity, although barely satisfactory, was significantly inferior to that of both Germany and the Netherlands. For similar reasons, though by a smaller margin, Germany's bid was chosen over the Dutch one. The Finals were played from 5 to 9 June in Dortmund and Gelsenkirchen, with the matches being decided by an open draw. The reason those two cities were chosen is simply that their combined stadium capacity paired with their close distance made them the most suitable hosts according to UEFA's Nations League regulations.

In the opening match, Mario Gómez opened the scoring for Germany in the 20th minute with a peach of a finish, sending the Westfalenstadion into delirium. Ten minutes before half-time, a young André Schürrle doubled Germany's lead. Immediately after the subsequent, kick-off, Spain soared to Die Mannschaft's box and were rewarded by a correct penalty call, which was safely converted by Xabi Alonso. Despite the entertaining first half, the remaining 45 minutes failed to produce any goals. Germany were heading to their second-ever Nations League final.

The first goal in the first semi-final was scored in the 20th minute. In the 21st minute in the second semi-final, Michael Krohn-Dehli gave Denmark a sensational lead versus the Netherlands against the run of play. However, it didn't appear to faze the Dutch, as they kept on dominating the match in terms of chances. Eventually, the reward came in the form of a Dirk Kuyt equalizer in the 75th minute. A couple of brilliant saves by Thomas Sørensen ensured that the match would go to extra time. The Dutch domination persisted and Kuyt secured his second goal of the match and third if you include the one he netted two years prior, pouncing on a rebound like he's so skilled at. This forced Denmark to play more offensively and take greater risks in an attempt to tie the game. In the dying seconds of the match, the Netherlands mounted a brilliant counterattack on the back of a last-ditch Danish offence, spearheaded by Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, who made it 3-1.

In the third-place play-off, David Villa became the second player after Thierry Henry to score in three (!) different Nations League Finals when he gave Spain the lead against Denmark. This lead was undone by Nicklas Bendtner, who was euphoric when he celebrated his equalizer that, in fairness, was a banger. However, in the second half, another David restored Spain's lead. Silva's finish was very composed. The scoreline remained unchanged. Spain had secured their third medal and first bronze at the competition. Though not a title win, it was still relieving as the Spaniards had suffered two defeats in their earlier bronze matches. Also, Denmark could be immensely proud of their campaign, despite failing to win silverware.

The final at the Westfalenstadion in Dortmund was attended by 65,000 people. Even with Germany's superb support taken into account, the match was weirdly one-sided. Three well-worked goals from Thomas Müller, Miroslav Klose and Mesut Özil granted Die Mannschaft their first Nations League title, while Oranje lost a second consecutive final.

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That concludes the seventh Nations League season of this timeline. I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know what you think.

 

[NTF aka Seb]

Part 22 - Even Fiercer
2012-13 Season: Introduction and Group Phase Draw​

The 2012-13 UEFA Nations League was the eighth season of the tournament. Germany were the defending champions, having won their first title in 2011. The tiebreakers and match schedule remained the same, with league phase matches being played from September to November 2012 and the Nations League Finals to take place in June 2013. Between that, the interleague play-offs would be played in March. Additionally, the matchup order was changed in accordance with UEFA's Nations League regulations. As always, teams were seeded based on the Nations League overall rankings of the previous season for the draw, which was conducted on 2 December 2011 in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Last season saw Austria, Bulgaria, Serbia and Ukraine be relegated from League A while Bosnia and Herzegovina, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland were promoted from League B. Also, Estonia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Slovenia were relegated from League B while Albania, Armenia, Hungary and Wales were promoted from League C. Additionally, following the interleague play-offs, Cyprus and the Faroe Islands were relegated from League C while Liechtenstein and Luxembourg were promoted from League D.

When it came to hosting the 2013 Nations League Finals, Denmark, Greece, Netherlands, Russia and Switzerland expressed interest in launching bids should they qualify following the completion of the group phase.

2010-11 UEFA Nations League overall rankings.​

Cyprus, making their maiden appearance in League D, were expected to easily top Group D1, while League C was spared from controversies. In League B, there were concerns about Albania and Serbia potentially ending up in the same group, given the political situation between the two countries. Nevertheless, the fears never came to fruition, as they ended up in different groups. Staggeringly, for a fourth (!) consecutive season, Italy and Spain were placed in the same League A group, making their already existing rivalry even fiercer. Additionally, Group A2 was very weak by League A standards, while Group A1 in particular was extraordinarily competitive.


League D

League C

League B

League A

------------------------------------------------------
That's it. Draw and introduction of the eighth season completed! Can't believe how far we've come. You know the drill, let me know your thoughts on the groups as well as potential predictions, or any other thoughts regarding the timeline. I'd love to hear it.

Stay tuned for the next part when League D to C and the interleague play-offs will conclude!

 

[NTF aka Seb]

Part 23 - Boring and Bizarre
2012-13 Season: League D to C and the interleague play-offs ​

League D
Cyprus comfortably qualified for the interleague play-offs as expected, with Malta also making a return to that stage, narrowly eclipsing the Faroe Islands. Andorra again failed to be competitive in the fight for a qualification spot, finishing one point ahead of San Marino, who notably defeated the Andorrans just like in 2008.

Matches
Cyprus 2-0 Andorra
Faroe Islands 2-1 Malta
Malta 1-1 Cyprus
Andorra 1-0 San Marino
San Marino 2-3 Malta
Cyprus 2-0 Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands 2-0 San Marino
Malta 1-0 Andorra
Andorra 0-0 Faroe Islands
San Marino 1-2 Cyprus
Andorra 0-1 Cyprus
Malta 3-2 Faroe Islands
Cyprus 1-1 Malta
San Marino 1-0 Andorra
Malta 1-0 San Marino
Faroe Islands 1-1 Cyprus
San Marino 1-2 Faroe Islands
Andorra 0-1 Malta
Faroe Islands 1-0 Andorra
Cyprus 2-0 San Marino



League C
Overall, this season of League C saw the division be characterized by low-scoring matches and quite boring football, which was naturally very disappointing.

Montenegro narrowly topped Group C1 ahead of a seemingly rising Iceland. Newly relegated Macedonia had a disappointing spell, but still managed to finish in third ahead of Estonia, who were heading to the interleague play-offs for the first time since 2003.

Slovakia went undefeated and won promotion back to League B from Group C2, followed by Northern Ireland and Moldova. Liechtenstein managed to draw all of their home matches, but it wasn't enough to save them from the play-offs.

Group C3 was quite bizarre in that all four nations conceded four goals. Finland won the group, having only finished third last season. Lithuania and Georgia both had unassuming campaigns, while Kazakhstan finished fourth yet again.

Slovenia won promotion from Group C4 pretty easily, while Azerbaijan enjoyed their most successful Nations League season up until this point, despite failing to clinch first place. The Latvians barely avoided the play-offs. Luxembourg sensationally only lost one match, but their inability to win matches still made sure they wouldn't finish higher than fourth.

Matches
Macedonia 0-1 Montenegro
Estonia 1-0 Iceland
Iceland 2-1 Montenegro
Macedonia 1-0 Estonia
Iceland 2-1 Macedonia
Montenegro 2-0 Estonia
Montenegro 2-1 Iceland
Estonia 1-1 Macedonia
Macedonia 1-2 Iceland
Estonia 0-1 Montenegro
Iceland 2-0 Estonia
Montenegro 1-1 Macedonia

Matches
Moldova 0-1 Northern Ireland
Slovakia 2-0 Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein 1-1 Northern Ireland
Moldova 1-1 Slovakia
Liechtenstein 1-1 Moldova
Northern Ireland 1-1 Slovakia
Northern Ireland 1-0 Liechtenstein
Slovakia 2-1 Moldova
Moldova 1-0 Liechtenstein
Slovakia 2-0 Northern Ireland
Liechtenstein 1-1 Slovakia
Northern Ireland 1-1 Moldova

Matches
Finland 1-1 Georgia
Lithuania 1-0 Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan 1-0 Georgia
Finland 1-1 Lithuania
Kazakhstan 1-2 Finland
Georgia 1-0 Lithuania
Georgia 0-0 Kazakhstan
Lithuania 1-1 Finland
Finland 1-0 Kazakhstan
Lithuania 1-1 Georgia
Kazakhstan 0-0 Lithuania
Georgia 0-1 Finland

Matches
Azerbaijan 2-1 Latvia
Slovenia 1-1 Luxembourg
Luxembourg 1-1 Latvia
Azerbaijan 1-1 Slovenia
Luxembourg 0-0 Azerbaijan
Latvia 1-0 Slovenia
Latvia 1-1 Luxembourg
Slovenia 1-0 Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan 1-1 Luxembourg
Slovenia 2-0 Latvia
Luxembourg 1-3 Slovenia
Latvia 1-1 Azerbaijan



Interleague play-offs
Luxembourg and Liechtenstein were both promoted from Group D1 last season. Now the two stood against each other in the interleague play-offs. A single goal from Aurélien Joachim made sure his Luxembourg would remain in League C and sent Liechtenstein to the second round. That stage of the play-offs saw an identical result, with Malta relegating Liechtenstein to League D thanks to a goal from Michael Mifsud, sending the Maltese back up to League C.

Following goals from Kazakhstan's Kairat Nurdauletov and Estonia's Andres Oper, Astana was again the venue of a nerve-wracking penalty shootout ultimately won by the home side. In the second round, Cyprus were eager on winning promotion back to League C, while Estonia would be fervently intent on remaining in the division. Efstathios Aloneftis gave Cyprus the lead as half-time was approaching. Estonia desperately sought the equalizer in the second half, only to be punished by an emphatic Cypriotic counter-attack, as Constantinos Makrides made it 2-0. Estonia were relegated to League D for the first time in history.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stay tuned for the next part when Leagues B to A and the 2013 Nations League Finals will conclude!

 

[NTF aka Seb]

Part 24 - Just a Formality
2012-13 Season: League B to A and the Nations League Finals​

League B
Belgium's mediocre League B era was finally over as they won every match in Group B1 and made a return to the top flight for the first time since 2004. The third clean group sweep in Nations League history, after the Czech Republic in 1998 and Germany in the previous season. Their rise almost appeared to come out of nowhere, as they'd only obtained seven points in the preceding season. Austria finished 12 points behind the Belgians, comfortably clear of the relegation spot. Newly promoted Albania unexpectedly managed to remain in League B at the expense of Scotland, who were relegated to League C for the first time ever. Arguably a new low for Scottish football.

Having been relegated from League A in 2011, Ukraine had a good season and comfortably won Group B2, only dropping points in one match. Their western neighbours Poland finished second, despite never being a dangerous top spot contender. League B debutants Armenia managed to avoid relegation, unlike Belarus, who were heading down to League C.

In Group B3, the Republic of Ireland won promotion, meaning they'd be playing in League A for the first time since 2002. Serbia narrowly missed out on the top spot, despite their superior goal difference. Israel finished third in usual order, while Wales suffered a terrible season, most notably being hammered 6-1 by Serbia, and were relegated to League C.

Romania enjoyed a good campaign after being on the verge of relegation to League C last season, making a return to the top division after originally being relegated from it in 2000. Promotion eluded Turkey, despite getting off to a great start by defeating Romania in Bucharest. For the first time ever, Hungary stayed clear of the bottom spot in League B ahead of Bulgaria, who suffered their maiden relegation to League C.

Matches
Belgium 2-0 Scotland
Austria 2-0 Albania
Albania 2-1 Scotland
Belgium 1-0 Austria
Albania 1-3 Belgium
Scotland 0-0 Austria
Scotland 2-1 Albania
Austria 1-2 Belgium
Belgium 2-1 Albania
Austria 2-1 Scotland
Albania 1-1 Austria
Scotland 0-2 Belgium

Matches
Belarus 0-2 Poland
Ukraine 1-0 Armenia
Armenia 1-2 Poland
Belarus 1-1 Ukraine
Armenia 1-2 Belarus
Poland 1-3 Ukraine
Poland 1-2 Armenia
Ukraine 1-0 Belarus
Belarus 2-4 Armenia
Ukraine 1-0 Poland
Armenia 0-2 Ukraine
Poland 2-1 Belarus

Matches
Israel 0-1 Republic of Ireland
Serbia 6-1 Wales
Wales 0-0 Republic of Ireland
Israel 0-0 Serbia
Wales 1-1 Israel
Republic of Ireland 1-0 Serbia
Republic of Ireland 2-1 Wales
Serbia 1-1 Israel
Israel 3-2 Wales
Serbia 0-0 Republic of Ireland
Wales 0-3 Serbia
Republic of Ireland 2-2 Israel

Matches
Romania 0-2 Turkey
Bulgaria 2-2 Hungary
Hungary 3-1 Turkey
Romania 1-0 Bulgaria
Hungary 2-2 Romania
Turkey 0-0 Bulgaria
Turkey 1-1 Hungary
Bulgaria 1-1 Romania
Romania 3-0 Hungary
Bulgaria 0-2 Turkey
Hungary 1-1 Bulgaria
Turkey 0-1 Romania




League A
Germany won the 'group of death', qualifying for their fourth Finals. Die Mannschaft's biggest highlight was their away win against France, who returned the favour at the Olympiastadion in Berlin. Portugal obtained a lacklustre six points, but avoided relegation, most notably defeating League A debutants Bosnia and Herzegovina 5-2. The Balkan side did well, given how competitive the group was. The apex of Bosnia and Herzegovina's season was their spectacular 3-3 draw against Germany on the final matchday.

Switzerland topped Group A2, also known as the 'group of life', securing a spot at their first-ever Finals. Greece did well to finish in second again, but were of course disappointed to miss out on the top spot in such a favourable group. Having qualified for the 2011 Finals, Denmark now failed to replicate that success. Still, the Danes avoided relegation, unlike the Czech Republic, who headed down to League B for the first time since the inaugural season. Truly an awful season for the usually solid Czechs.

The Netherlands won Group A3 as expected, qualifying for their third consecutive Finals. Sweden, usually rigorously defensive and disciplined, were uncharacteristically explosive, scoring 10 goals and conceding 11. Sweden's biggest highlight was notably their 4-2 win over England, where Zlatan Ibrahimović scored a staggering four goals and a spectacular bicycle kick from outside the box. England performed slightly worse than anticipated, but avoided relegation by quite a comfortable margin, while Russia were heading back down to League B.

In Group A4, Spain qualified for the Finals ahead of Italy, as had essentially become a tradition. Croatia obtained a respectable seven points, while Norway were relegated and failed to win a single match.

Matches
Portugal 1-1 France
Germany 1-0 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina 1-1 France
Portugal 1-1 Germany
Bosnia and Herzegovina 0-0 Portugal
France 1-2 Germany
France 0-0 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Germany 2-0 Portugal
Portugal 5-2 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Germany 1-2 France
Bosnia and Herzegovina 3-3 Germany
France 1-0 Portugal

Matches
Czech Republic 0-1 Greece
Denmark 0-2 Switzerland
Switzerland 1-1 Greece
Czech Republic 0-3 Denmark
Switzerland 1-0 Czech Republic
Greece 0-0 Denmark
Greece 0-0 Switzerland
Denmark 0-0 Czech Republic
Czech Republic 0-2 Switzerland
Denmark 0-1 Greece
Switzerland 1-1 Denmark
Greece 1-1 Czech Republic

Matches
Russia 0-0 England
Netherlands 3-1 Sweden
Sweden 4-2 England
Russia 1-2 Netherlands
Sweden 1-0 Russia
England 2-3 Netherlands
England 2-1 Sweden
Netherlands 2-0 Russia
Russia 2-1 Sweden
Netherlands 1-0 England
Sweden 2-2 Netherlands
England 1-0 Russia

Matches
Italy 1-1 Croatia
Spain 2-0 Norway
Norway 1-1 Croatia
Italy 0-1 Spain
Norway 1-2 Italy
Croatia 0-1 Spain
Croatia 2-1 Norway
Spain 1-1 Italy
Italy 3-1 Norway
Spain 1-1 Croatia
Norway 0-2 Spain
Croatia 2-2 Italy




2013 UEFA Nations League Finals

Germany and Spain were ineligible to launch host bids for the Nations League Finals, as they had previously organized them in 2011 and 2007 respectively. This left the Netherlands and Switzerland as the eligible host candidates. The Dutch bid was chosen over the Swiss one, courtesy of their higher capacity and closer proximity of the venues. The Finals were played from 5 to 9 June 2013 in Amsterdam and Rotterdam. Even though De Kuip in Rotterdam hosted the UEFA Euro 2000 final and is widely regarded to have the country's best atmosphere, the Dutch FA chose the Amsterdam Arena to be the venue of the Nations League final. At Euro 2000, De Kuip was selected as the final host for financial and commercial reasons. However, now the financial situation had changed and the Dutch FA decided it was Amsterdam's turn to host a big final.

In the first semi-final, the Netherlands got an opportunity to get revenge on Spain for previous defeats when the Turkish referee pointed at the penalty spot in the fifth minute, following a foul on Arjen Robben. Robin van Persie calmly placed it in his bottom right corner, adding to his goal tally from the 2009 Finals where he netted against France. With half-time approaching, Spain were presented with a golden opportunity to get back into the match when the referee again correctly awarded a penalty. Fernando Torres was never in doubt. The match was tied at half-time, but Wesley Sneijder restored order for the Netherlands with a collected and clinical finish in the 68th minute. Despite having played at two previous Nations League Finals, it was Sneijder's first goal at this stage. Just as the fourth official indicated there would be four minutes of added time, Arjen Robben made it 3-1 with a trademarked finish, adding to his goal tally from 2009. The Netherlands became historic by making it to three consecutive finals at the Nations League. They'd have the opportunity to get revenge on Germany for the 2001 final in Dortmund. After all, Germany's match against Switzerland was regarded as 'just a formality'.

Many people thought that Switzerland didn't even deserve to be here, as they qualified from a group that was very weak by League A standards. Nevertheless, Eren Derdiyok gave Switzerland the lead against Germany in the 21st minute with a simple yet clinical finish. More was yet to come, though, as Derdiyok jumped higher than Manuel Neuer and headed in his second goal on the back of a 'Hail Mary' pass from Gökhan İnler less than two minutes after he opened the scoring. Germany find a lifeline on the stroke of half-time, as Mats Hummels perfectly utilised Mesut Özils cross to put Die Mannschaft on the scoresheet. In the 67th minute, another audacious ball from Inler found its way to an unlikely goalscorer, Stephan Lichtsteiner, who made it 3-1 with the third header goal in the match. Neuer had a rough day at the job. The same can't be said about Marco Reus, who emphatically converted a rebound of his own original shot. Switzerland 3, Germany 2. However, Admir Mehmedi wasn't gonna let the Swiss party be spoiled by their northern neighbours, as he made sure a goalmouth scramble made it 4-2. Against the odds, Switzerland were in the final. Germany found some redemption in the third place play-off, where a late Toni Kroos goal granted Die Mannschaft their third Nations League medal.

The final was the Netherlands' to win from the opening whistle. Oranje immediately soared to the penalty area and Arjen Robben gave the hosts an early lead after less than two minutes. Fifteen minutes later, it seemed it could be a devastating night for Switzerland, as Kevin Strootman doubled the Netherlands' lead. Despite the Dutch domination, the match didn't see any more goals. In fact, the Netherlands played so well that Switzerland should be praised for 'only' losing by two goals. The Swiss could definitely be proud of their performance. Still, this was the Netherlands' moment. Finally, they'd won a Nations League title.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That concludes the eighth Nations League season of this timeline. I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know what you think.

Stay tuned for the next part, where we will see a new team join and a slight format overhaul.

 

[jmmcb94]

That sounds about right for Scotland given that this would've been 'peak' Craig Levein at this point!

 

[NTF aka Seb]

Part 25 - More to Play For
2014-15 Season: Introduction and Group Phase Draw​

The 2014-15 UEFA Nations League was the ninth edition of the tournament, with the Netherlands being the defending champions, having won their first title on home soil in 2013. This season saw Gibraltar join, having been granted full UEFA membership before the group phase draw was conducted on 23 February 2014 in Nice, France.

Gibraltar’s road to UEFA admittance had been long and complicated, applying to join in 1999 only to be rejected due to fierce opposition from Spain. The opposition largely originates from Spain claiming ownership of Gibraltar. Additionally, Spain feared that the admittance of Gibraltar would inspire separatist regions such as Basque and Catalonia to also seek UEFA membership. Nevertheless, Gibraltar became full UEFA members in May 2013, with only Belarus and Spain opposed.

League D now contained six teams, forcing UEFA to overhaul the format, as a group with six teams would result in “an unreasonably hectic match schedule”. For the first time ever, the division would now have two groups instead of one. Moreover, UEFA decided that the two League D group winners would be directly promoted to League C instead of having to be triumphant in the interleague play-offs, which were discontinued. In their place, the relegation play-outs were introduced, where the four bottom-placed League C teams would fight for survival in the division.

Teams seeded ahead of the group phase draw.​

Last season saw Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Czech Republic, Norway and Russia be relegated from League A while Belgium, the Republic of Ireland, Romania and Ukraine were promoted from League B. Also, Belarus, Bulgaria, Scotland and Wales were relegated from League B while Finland, Montenegro, Slovakia and Slovenia were promoted from League C. Additionally, following the now-defunct interleague play-offs, Estonia and Liechtenstein were relegated from League C while Cyprus and Malta were promoted from League D.

When it came to hosting the 2015 Nations League Finals, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Greece, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Switzerland and Ukraine expressed interest in launching bids should they qualify following the completion of the group phase. By now, UEFA's principle of not allowing previous hosts to organize the Finals again was seriously questioned, as the number of first-time hosts naturally dwindle as more Finals are played. UEFA clarified their stance, stating that "it would be okay for a previous host to organize the [Nations League] Finals again if only prior hosts qualify".

In League D, the big talking point was the fact that the division's group winners were guaranteed promotion to League C. There were a small number of fans who thought this was unfair, and that the interleague play-offs were a superior concept. Still, most people, including UEFA, hailed it as something positive which would "increase the motivation of teams in League D and League C", as "they'd have more to play for". Also, the hope was that this would make the football itself more entertaining. In League B, there were concerns about Albania and Serbia being in the same group due to the political situation between the two countries. Group B1 was notably almost identical to Group B2 of the 2010-11 season, the only exception being Slovakia. League A was spared from controversies.

League D

Relegation play-outs

League C

League B

League A

------------------------------------------------------
That's it. Draw and introduction of the ninth season completed! Can't believe how far we've come. You know the drill, let me know your thoughts on the groups as well as potential predictions, or any other thoughts regarding the timeline. I'd love to hear it.

Stay tuned for the next part when League D to C and the relegation play-outs will conclude!

 

[jmmcb94]

Oh no, Scotland drawn against three teams they infamously always struggle against; this has disaster written all over it!