World Soccer - UK (2022-01)

endown,threeto

go.MostofEurope’s

World Cuphopefuls

knowtheywillbe in

Qatar next November.

Europeanchampions

Italy andtheirPortuguesepredecessors

arethemost notableoutliersatrisk

ofembarrassmentand elimination

inthe play-offsnextMarch.

Play-offs

beckon for

big guns

OneofPortugalandItaly,the

lasttwoEuropeanchampions,

willmissoutonaplaceinQatar

T

Managersofthehappytenmust

nowpondercopingwith sucha lengthy

run-up.Usuallythefinalistsneedto

merelyplottheirway througha handful

ofspringfriendliesaheadof thefinals

inJune,makingonlyminorchanges

totheirsquads.But a yearisa long

timeinterms of nationalteams.

DidierDeschamps,coachofworld

championsFrance,knowsthisbetter

Europe

KEIRRADNEDGE

thanmost.Heandhiscolleagues

mustnegotiate NationsLeaguetiesin

thespringthena handfuloffriendlies

squashed in betweena frantically

busyclubschedule in theautumn.

Deschamps andCo.willnoteven

havethebenefitofa two-week

pre-finalstrainingcamp.League

matchinjuriesriskdenyingthem

a host of starsatthe last minute.

Upset...Serbia

pippedPortugalto

topofGroupA