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By Mike Collett
VIENNA, June 28 (Reuters) - The European Championship finals will almost certainly be increased to 24 teams from 2016 after the idea was unanimously agreed by senior officials of all 53 UEFA member nations on Saturday.
The recommendation was made at a meeting of the presidents and general secretaries of UEFA members. It came after UEFA president Michel Platini said earlier on Saturday that increasing the size of the European Championship to 20 or 24 teams from 16 finalists would not necessarily diminish the quality of the competition.
UEFA, the governing body of European soccer which organises the tournament, has been studying proposals to increase the size of the finals since early last year. The proposals were first submitted by the Scottish Football Association and the Ireland FA last year.
Scottish FA chief executive Gordon Smith told Reuters he was delighted with the recommendation made on Saturday, which is now expected to be ratified at UEFA's executive committee meeting in Bordeaux on Sept. 25/26.
"It is something that the members of UEFA saw no real disadvantage to. Expanding to 24 teams would only add a few extra days to the competition.
NO DOWNSIDE
"There was no downside in terms of revenue and the feeling in the meeting was that everyone was in favour. There is an appetite for it and everyone appreciates the advantages."
Sergio di Cesare, a spokesman for the Italian FA, told Reuters: "It was 100 percent, it will happen for 2016, it will boost the smaller nations, and everyone was in a agreement."
Platini, who earlier spoke at a news conference, reminded reporters that when he won the tournament playing for France in 1984 it was only half the size it is now.
"Remember, I won the Euros when there were only eight teams. It is not certain it was better with eight teams than 16 or that 16 is better than 24 or 32 or 54," he told a news conference.
"I am not worried about the quality by increasing the number of teams. Countries like England, Denmark, Scotland, Ireland, Belgium, Serbia, Ukraine and Bulgaria all have the ability to participate in a European Championship.
"Would they reduce the quality of the Euro? I believe they have the quality to take part, yes sincerely, there are teams that could be at the Euro and even enhance the quality of the competition."
The first five finals were staged as four-team events from 1960 until 1976 and were increased to eight teams in 1980.
The first 16-team finals were in 1996, but pressure has come from some countries to increase the size of the finals again.
If the tournament is increased to 24 teams, as now seems likely, it would mean nearly half of UEFA's 53 members associations taking part in the finals.
