[ZFR]

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/...-Expansion.php

VIENNA, Austria: UEFA will decide in September whether to expand the European Championship to 24 teams from the current 16, president Michel Platini said Saturday. Expanding the competition would increase the revenue for UEFA and allow eight more federations to seek better funding and sponsorship deals because of their participation. Increasing the tournament to 24 teams, though, would make for a convoluted and complicated competition calendar instead of the simple four-group system now. "I always said, 'Let's wait and see what the Euro will be like.' When you are president of UEFA you have to consider the quality of the game, the number of teams, the number of stadiums," Platini said. It has left Platini caught in two minds. "There are teams that could be at the Euro and even enhance the quality of the Euro," Platini said. Too many teams though could dilute the competition, he said. "It's not certain that, with 16, it's better with 24 or 32 or 54," he said. UEFA started a feasibility study on expansion more than one year ago. It will discuss the possibilities with the national federations this weekend. The expansion could theoretically apply to 2012, but the general assumption is that it would not be introduced ahead of Euro 2016.

I'm rather against this. 16 teams seems optimal. Basically 4 groups of death from which any 2 teams can qualify.

Expanding it would mean lowering the overall level of matches + more tired players.