By Andrew Warshaw
September 18 – European leagues could be halted for an entire month before the Christmas period to allow the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup to be staged in winter.
UEFA President Michel Platini says altering the European calendar and extending the season into June would be the only way to accommodate a winter tournament and prevent it being held in the searing heat of the desert summer where temperatures can reach 50 degrees.
Platini is still hopeful that Qatar will accept the idea of switching the World Cup from its traditional June-July slot.
“I hope it will take place in winter and I’m still pushing for that,” said Platini.
“It would be far better for the fans.”
It was originally assumed that early January would be the optimum time to stage a winter World Cup, when many European countries are normally in a winter break.
But Platini says that wouldn’t be possible because of a clash with the Winter Olympics.
“It couldn’t be January because that would clash with the Winter Olympics so that means November-December,” Platini said.
“Obviously we’d have to stop playing in Europe at that time and extending the season into June.
“For me that wouldn’t be a problem.”
FIFA’s new Ethics Committee has not ruled out re-opening the case into whether Qatar broke any bidding rules when securing their landslide 2022 victory but Platini says stripping them of hosting would be unfair.
“I don’t think you can do that now and I don’t think it will happen,” he said.
Accused of being privately urged to vote for Qatar by the French Government to help secure vital trade deals, Platini, whose son works for the Qatari owners of Paris Saint Germain, denied he had ever bowed to pressure.
“It’s nonsense,” he insisted.
“I went to a dinner once with the heads of Government of both countries but I was never asked anything about this.
“Besides, anyone who knows me knows I’d vote for who I want.
“And if there was ever a revote, I’d vote for Qatar again.
“I think it is time the region had a chance to stage the World Cup – but my preference would be for the whole Gulf area to share it.”
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