UEFA Proposes Expanding European Championship From 16 to 24 Teams

EURO 2008 has been a wildly successful tournament on many levels. The quality of play has been very high, the games have been memorable, and the organization, by all accounts, has been top notch. So naturally, UEFA decided to go out and fix what isn't broken.

According to The Guardian, UEFA has received "universal support" for expanding the European Championships from 16 to 24 teams, starting in 2016. The Scottish Football Association put the measure forward, and by all accounts, nobody has spoken against the idea, which means it will likely be approved soon.

Personally, I think this ruins a good thing. The current 16-team format is perfect for an international summer tournament like this. Adding two more groups complicates scheduling, especially in the knockout stage. How many teams get through? 12? 16? Expanding the tournament might bring more talent to the table, but it takes away some of the challenge of qualifying. Why make it easier for teams to get through? Isn't having too many teams make the playoffs the biggest complaint fans have with American sports?

Of course, I'm sure most Scottish soccer fans would disagree with me on this. Scotland hasn't gotten through the qualifying rounds since 1996. No wonder they proposed this idea. I bet England's even more enthusiastic about it than they are.