International Friendlies Are Not About Multi-Millionaires Jogging On The Pitch

It took me a while to figure out what exactly the UEFA Nations League was. The calendar dates that were previously occupied by international friendlies, now suddenly were part of some European competition. All I could think was what the teams are even playing for, being the champion of international friendlies?

But after getting more familiar with the tournament it turns out that UEFA has successfully turned dull friendlies into an exciting affair, all because now there is something to play for. First there is the Nations League final (which is all about playing for pride) and then all the group winners get a place in playoff for Euro 2020.

In the summer of 2019 two exciting semi-finals will be played. England will take on The Oranje while Portugal will lock horns with Switzerland. Given the recent performances of all the teams it can’t be said that any one team is favourite in both the games. You can check the odds for the games at bet365. England is currently favourites to win the tournament at 9/4. Also make sure to check out various lucrative offers available at UEFA Nations League betting 2018/2019.

Football betting, like any sort of sports betting, comes down to a combination of luck, knowledge of the sport and a keen understanding of how betting works. As an example, knowing that England are the frontrunners in this tournament gives you an understanding of how to place your hard earned cash. Do you place a large sum on England with the chance of roughly doubling your money or do you hope that luck comes into play and that you have a bigger chance of winning big by betting on the team with far smaller odds. Betting always requires some level of blind luck but football betting offers the distinct advantage of being just as much about your passion for the sport and your own judgement calls as it doe son the roll of the dice.

Now let’s see whether the tournament has been a successful innovation or not.
The interest of the fans says it all
Pubs and bars are an integral part of football. Mostly they are full when there are competitive fixtures going on because of the social experience. Football is always better when you are watching with a crowd. People go absolutely mad when the stakes are high in a football match.

Hence the crowd in a pub is a good parameter of judging the magnitude of any particular game. Representatives of popular sports bar Beds & Bars are saying that they have seen a massive turn up for England’s game against Croatia and Spain; both the games were thrilling to watch.

Various sports bar have claimed that the tournament is an improvement on international friendlies from their perspective. Initially people thought of the tournament as just friendlies tied together in a tournament so they never really cared for the format. Later successful promotion in social media created hype around the tournament. Some enthralling matches also contributed in getting the fans’ attention.

Now that it has the business has been going really well for pubs and bars.

It’s just the first year
Nobody likes the international break for it ruins the rhythm of club football. UEFA’s plan was to give a competitive edge to the bore fest of friendlies. They sought to take advantage of the World Cup hangover and hope fans around the world will be craving for some good international matches similar to the World Cup. England’s win over former World Champion Spain in thrilling fashion was promising for the tournament. But there is still a long way to go.
But teams will try to make the best out of the competitive nature of this league. The Nations Leauge will be a platform to compete against the best teams in Europe and prepare for the next World Cup. As the competition grows stronger it will surely attract more popularity.