kicsit off:
Norway, Sweden and Denmark plan new Nordic contest
By Alister Doyle
OSLO, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Norway, Sweden and Denmark are planning a Scandinavian mini-Champions League to extend soccer towards the winter amid growing interest from fans, the Norwegian league said on Thursday.
Under the plans, the top three teams from each nation would play a tournament in October, take a break in winter when pitches are often covered with snow, and complete the championship in the early spring.
ADVERTISEMENT
A total of 31 games would be played, sandwiched between the end and start of the Nordic soccer seasons.
"We hope to start in 2004," Olav Boksasp, chairman of the Norwegian league, told Reuters.
Spectator interest in soccer in the region is rising, challenging traditional Nordic sports like cross-country skiing and skating.
The Danish FA also said a new championship would improve the quality of soccer in the region, where top players are lured away by higher wages in England, Germany or Spain.
"We want to develop sports and soccer's economy, help make soccer more professional and more interesting for fans," Boksasp said of the proposed "Scandinavian Championship".
"The clubs are positive," he said, rejecting suggestions that it would add to player burnout.
The Norwegian FA said playing in the competition would not grant qualification into any other European contests.
Under the plan, the three top finishers in the three leagues would play each other on a home and away basis in three domestic-based groups in October and November.
In the spring, the top two finishers from each country would play a mixed nations tournament in two groups of three with the top teams from those groups then meeting in a final. |