At a time when UEFA is considering changes to revive interest in European Championship qualifying matches, the draw for Euro 2024 threw up some big-time clashes.
Most notably, the finalists of the last tournament will meet again on the way to Germany after Italy and England were drawn into the same group on Sunday. The Netherlands against World Cup champion France is another stand-out encounter.
But there is a growing feeling that the qualification format is becoming a turn-off for viewers and broadcasters.
The latest evidence of its current bloated form came at the draw in Frankfurt. The 53 national teams were split into 10 groups of five or six teams, with 23 qualifying for the 2024 tournament in Germany.
At a meeting of UEFA member associations on the eve of the draw, a proposal to reduce the size of each group to a maximum of four or five teams
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