By Andrew Warshaw
January 4 – The head of Asian football insists Qatar can still stage the 2022 World Cup in the heat of mid-summer and has urged FIFA not to make a decision about switching it to the winter until 2018 at the earliest.
Mohamed bin Hammam (pictured), himself a Qatari citizen, will be the centre of attention later this week when the Asian Football Confederation holds its annual congress followed by the Asian Cup.
Both events are in Qatar which will be back in the spotlight just a month after controversially being awarded the World Cup which led to immediate talk of the tournament being switched to the cooler winter months.
“As a Qatari citizen I can assure you our country is ready and willing to host a very comfortable World Cup in the summer season,” said Bin Hammam.
“We have presented solutions to the challenges of the heat here during June and July.”
Franz Beckenbauer is one of several senior figures who believe the finals simply cannot be staged in June and July.
Bin Hammam hinted this was a European-led campaign but acknowledged a winter World Cup could prove a better spectacle.
“I believe it is more a desire by national associations outside Asia, our region,” he said.
“But organising the World Cup in the middle of the [European] season like January is a solution actually because players are going to be fit to play and entertain their fans.
“Secondly, January is also sort of dead season with most of leagues in Europe not playing – with one or two exceptions.
“So it would not affect the leagues or clubs if they released their players for a World Cup in January.
“That might be a sort of win/win situation for all parties.”
Bin Hammam said, however, that any decision on staging the tournament in winter should be taken no earlier than 2018 when a new-look FIFA executive committee is in place.
Likewise, any discussions about Qatar sharing the tournament with other Gulf nations.
“FIFA should only discuss all these issues with the Executive Committee which will be in place in 2018 if it wants to do anything.
“I believe this is not the right time to speak about these things.”
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