The matches will take place in September, October, and November. The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) said that the goal of the competition was to replace “pointless” friendly matches. The Nations League will also serve as a backdoor route to the Euro 2020 tournament.

The Slovenian national men’s football team is happy with the draw. “I think it’s an evenly matched group, and the fans will see a lot of interesting matches. We’re more than a match for the other teams, and I’m happy with the draw,” said Radenko Mijatović, the head of the Slovenian Football Association. “If your goal is to advance, you have to be the best in your group. Therefore, we will aim to be the best in our group.”

Tomaž Kavčič, the new manager of the national men’s football team, said he is also happy with the draw. “We have our work cut out for us. The teams are evenly matched, and I believe our team is up there with everyone else. We can give the other teams a run for their money. If you’re competing in a tournament, you have to aim high. Our goal is to advance.” Slovenia is currently 64th in the FIFA world rankings. Bulgaria is 42nd, while Norway checks in at 58th. Cyprus languishes at 92nd place.

All 55 member associations will participate in the UEFA Nations League, and the teams will be divided into four leagues. There will be 12 teams in League A, 12 teams in League B, 15 teams in League C, and 16 teams in League D. Within each league, teams will be split into four groups. Slovenia will play in Group 3 of League C.

The first part of the season runs from September through November 2018. Within each league, the four best teams will be promoted, whereas the four worst teams will be relegated. The winner will be determined at the so-called Final Four competition in June 2019. The Euro 2020 qualifiers are scheduled to take place between March 2019 and November 2019, while the Euro 2020 play-offs are set to take place between March 26 and March 31, 2020.