'Exciting period' in prospect

National team football was the main discussion point at the UEFA Executive Committee meeting in Nyon on Thursday – with the course set for the future in an exciting new men's national team competition, and the blue-riband competition in the women's national team game given a host country for its next major rendezvous in 2017.

The committee, chaired by UEFA President Michel Platini, gave the green light to the format and schedule for the UEFA Nations League, which kicks off in 2018 and will offer a fresh shape and impetus to the European national team game. In addition, the Netherlands were appointed as the hosts for the UEFA Women's EURO 2017 final round in three summers' time – with hopes high that the tournament will continue to reflect the flourishing nature of women's football.

"Full speed ahead with the UEFA Nations League," UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino told UEFA.com. "We start in September 2018, so it is an exciting period for national team competitions with this new competition, which will create a new enthusiasm for national team football – [we have] the Nations League, the European Qualifiers and then EURO 2020 in 13 different countries."

The introduction of the UEFA Nations League was approved by UEFA's member associations at the Ordinary UEFA Congress in Astana, Kazakhstan, and the competition will bring added appeal to national-team football, considered as a crucial source of national identity and pride for players and a country's fans.

UEFA Women's EURO 2013 in Sweden broke various records, and provided proof of the burgeoning popularity of women's football. The UEFA Executive Committee's decision for the 2017 tournament will see the Netherlands not only looking to provide another wonderful advertisement for the women's game, but also staging an event that has been given a new dimension.

"The first EURO with 16 participating teams at seven different venues in the Netherlands," said Mr Infantino. "The Netherlands have just qualified for the FIFA Women's World Cup – so congratulations to them – and we are looking forward to an exciting women's tournament." The Netherlands became the eighth European team to make it through to the World Cup in Canada next summer when they defeated Italy in a play-off over two legs last month.

The Executive Committee also took decisions concerning the situation in Crimea. "It is a delicate situation, as we all know," Mr Infantino explained. "In recent weeks and months, we've had several discussions with the authorities in Ukraine and in Russia, [and] with the football associations of Ukraine and Russia. The Executive Committee decided today to consider Crimea as a 'special zone' until further notice.

"This means concretely that this 'zone' will be supervised by a member of the committee, František Laurinec; that the three clubs currently playing in the Russian leagues from Crimea will have to stop playing in these competitions as of 1 January next year; and, most importantly, that UEFA has decided to help the financing of youth football in Crimea with some special projects, which we will consider in further committee meetings."