Wednesday 11 October 2017 11:30, UK
Wales have missed out on potentially money-spinning games after failing to make it into League A in the new UEFA Nations League format.
Monday's defeat against the Republic of Ireland proved costly in terms of missing a World Cup European Qualifier play-off spot, and it also meant they were leapfrogged by the Netherlands in UEFA coefficient, dropping them out of the top 12.
That means missing out on the potential for games against Germany, Italy, Spain and England, who are among the dozen teams to qualify for League A.
Wales drop into a 12-strong League B which also includes Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, so all three teams could meet when further group draws are made in January, while Scotland are in Group C.
Teams will be split into four groups of three and play on four of the six matchdays which are spread throughout September, October and November 2018.
League D features 16 teams, with four groups of four, and those teams will play on all six assigned matchdays.
Group games will be followed by semi-finals involving the four group winners and a final to be played in June 2019. The four teams finishing bottom of their group will be relegated. Promotion will not take place until the second edition of the tournament in 2020.
The draw for individual groups takes place in Lausanne, Switzerland, on January 24, 2018.
UEFA Nations League:
League A: Germany, Portugal, Belgium, Spain, France, England, Switzerland, Italy, Poland, Iceland, Croatia, Netherlands
League B: Austria, Wales, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Ukraine, Republic of Ireland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Czech Republic, Turkey
League C: Hungary, Romania, Scotland, Slovenia, Greece, Serbia, Albania, Norway, Montenegro, Israel, Bulgaria, Finland, Cyprus, Estonia, Lithuania
League D: Azerbaijan, FYR Macedonia, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, Latvia, Faroe Islands, Luxembourg, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Liechtenstein, Malta, Andorra, Kosovo, San Marino, Gibraltar
