Modern football is a dispiriting compromise of safety nets and second chances: the big teams are protected by seeding, play-offs, larger tournaments and consolation prizes like the Europa League (even if that is often greeted with an enthusiasm previously reserved for Bullseye contestants who were eyeing the speedboat and ended up with just their Bus Fare Home). The delicious cut-throat element of football has all but gone. For the big international sides, qualification for major tournaments has become almost a formality..
This was not always the case. A prime example is the qualification…
