By David Gold
December 2 – UEFA President Michel Platini has said that he would move the Champions League and Europa League to accommodate a winter World Cup being held in Qatar in 2022.
Though Qatar has plans in place to install air conditioning in stadiums to ensure that temperatures, which can reach up to 50 degrees centigrade during the summer, are not too stifling, there have been calls for the World Cup there to be moved to the winter.
Platini, who confirmed that he voted for Qatar’s successful bid a year ago today in Zurich, told Al Jazeera “of course”, when asked if he would move the two European club competitions to make such a move feasible.
“If we play in winter, [it is] not a problem to organise it,” he said.
“How can people go to Qatar in 50 degrees in June?
“If the people can’t come to enjoy it it’s not good.
“Instead [of stopping the season] in May you play until June, and then stop in December.
“Where is the problem?”
A move to a winter World Cup was also suggested by FIFA President Sepp Blatter in January, who had indicated that the Executive Committee could change the scheduling of the competition.
Though Qatar plans to hold the competition during the summer, the secretary general of the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee, Hassan Abdullah al-Thawadi, last month told The Gulf Times that they could be flexible on holding a winter World Cup.
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