Italy have been assigned a place in the top tier of the UEFA Nations League, which kicks off next year.
Italy’s runners-up finish in their 2018 World Cup qualifying group ensured they were ranked among UEFA’s 12 best national teams, subsequently securing the Azzurri a berth in League A of the new tournament.
Italy have been assigned a place in the top tier of the UEFA Nations League, which kicks off next year.
Italy’s runners-up finish in their 2018 World Cup qualifying group ensured they were ranked among UEFA’s 12 best national teams, subsequently securing the Azzurri a berth in League A of the new tournament.
“Teams will be split into four groups of three, with the group winners then contesting the UEFA Nations League Finals (semi-finals, third-place match and final) in June 2019 to become the UEFA Nations League winners. One host country will be appointed in December 2018 from among the finalist teams,” explained the governing body on its official website.
“The four teams that finish bottom of their groups will be relegated to League B for the 2020 edition.
The top four-ranked teams that do not qualify for UEFA EURO 2020 will enter a play-off in March 2020, with one finals place on offer.”
The group-stage draw for the Nations League will be held in Lausanne on January 24, 2018, prior to six group matchdays between September and November.
Russia and Ukraine will not be drawn into the same pool on political grounds, with the same applying to Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The finals draw will then be made in early December of next year, before those matches are played between June 5-9.
The Nations League has been devised as a competitive stop-gap between World Cups and European Championships.
League A: Germany, Portugal, Belgium, Spain, France, England, Switzerland, Italy, Poland, Iceland, Croatia, Netherlands
League B: Austria, Wales, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Ukraine, Republic of Ireland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Czech Republic, Turkey
League C: Hungary, Romania, Scotland, Slovenia, Greece, Serbia, Albania, Norway, Montenegro, Israel, Bulgaria, Finland, Cyprus, Estonia, Lithuania
League D: Azerbaijan, FYR Macedonia, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, Latvia, Faroe Islands, Luxembourg, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Liechtenstein, Malta, Andorra, Kosovo, San Marino, Gibraltar