UEFA Nations League Draw: Groups, Format and Reaction

UEFA held the draw for the inaugural UEFA Nations League on Wednesday in Lausanne, Switzerland, with England drawn in Group 4 of League A alongside Croatia and Spain.

Meanwhile, Group 1 will see Germany, France and the Netherlands pitted against one another, while Belgium, Switzerland and Iceland will face off in Group 2. The remaining group in League A, Group 3, will be contested by Portugal, Italy and Poland.

UEFA shared the draws for Leagues B and C on Twitter:

The full draw, including for League D, can also be found at UEFA's official website.

Format

The UEFA Nations League will run in the 2018-19 season, culminating in a four-team finals competition contested between the four group winners of League A in June next year.

The teams will play one another home and away to determine the winners, with promotion and relegation also in effect between the leagues, which have been compiled based on coefficient rankings.

UEFA created a video to explain the new format in full, with the Nations League aiming to replace many of the friendlies played by international teams:

As an added incentive for those competing, the four top-ranked teams from each league who are yet to qualify for the 2020 European Championship will enter a play-off to secure the final four places for the tournament, with one place on offer for each league.

Reaction

The Mirror's John Cross is looking forward to the new format, particularly England's exciting group:

Indeed, while difficult opposition was always more or less guaranteed with the teams grouped together by ranking, the Three Lions would likely have preferred to avoid Spain, who will be favourites to top Group 4, while Croatia are hardly a weak link.

Group 1 also stands out with three historical giants of European football pitted against one another.

The Netherlands—who failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup—will need to improve markedly on their performances in recent years if they're to avoid relegation, though, but clashes with Germany and France will provide a useful barometer of where they're at as they look to rebuild their side.

BeIN Sports' Tancredi Palmeri gave his take on Group 3:

Like the Netherlands, Italy also failed to qualify for the World Cup, and they too are in the process of rebuilding.

Up against Portugal and Poland, it could have been worse for the Azzurri, but succeeding in that group will be far from an easy task.

League B has also thrown up some interesting ties, with Wales, Denmark and the Republic of Ireland drawing one another.

Per football journalist Daniel McDonnell, the draw will bring with it a sense of deja vu for the Irish:

The Irish will be eager for revenge against the Danes after their comprehensive defeat in the World Cup play-offs, while the clash with Wales will see Manchester United legends Ryan Giggs and Roy Keane pitted against each other in the dugouts.

Group 2, comprised of Russia, Sweden and Turkey, should also produce some intriguing ties.

The Nations League should hold plenty of appeal if it's successful—more frequent clashes between the continent's best, the drama of promotion and relegation, the opportunity for lesser teams to develop by facing opponents of similar quality and the possibility of extra silverware on the international stage.

The inclusion of a somewhat confusing link to European Championship qualification feels unnecessary, but the Nations League could help to reignite interest in international football outside of major tournaments.