By Andrew Warshaw, in Monaco
August 30 – Michel Platini is again insisting on the Qatar 2022 World Cup being switched to winter – in line with a number of other stakeholders.
Yet the very period the UEFA President is advocating – January and February – is precisely the time when the tournament could run into problems, firstly because it would most likely be too close to the winter Olympics and secondly because it would mean players and coaches having to prepare for the tournament over Christmas and the New Year.
Although many countries would conveniently be on a winter break during Platini’s preferred time of January, an even stronger case seems to be emerging for any winter switch to take place before rather than after Christmas.
That, of course, would clash with UEFA’s two main club competitions, a scenario clearly not lost on Platini. Neither time scale is ideal but Platini knows which he would prefer.
“If it’s in December or November it could be a problem, if it’s in January it will not be a problem,” Platini told Sky Sports News ahead of the Champions League draw here. Nit everyone will agree with him.
“It will be very specific for one year – instead of finishing (the season) in May, we finish in June. I’ve already looked at that and for me there is no problem. FIFA will decide and organise it, but perhaps the European leagues will make an (alternative) proposal to FIFA.”
Those European leagues are led by the English Premier League and the Bundesliga, both opposed to the concept of a winter World Cup. Platini says they should just try and get used to the idea.
“If you think that the World Cup is the best tournament in the world – in all sports – you play in the season that is best for the fans and players,” he said.
Platini, who makes no secret of the fact that he voted for Qatar in the December, 2010 ballot, will be doing his best between now and the start of October to lobby his colleagues on the FIFA executive committee to back a one-off switch from summer.
That’s the date when the exco will decide whether in principle to sanction an unprecedented change from the World Cup’s traditional summer slot. One person Platini won’t need to persuade is FIFA President Sepp Blatter who has already gone on record several times as saying he too now favours a move away from the searing summer heat of the Gulf – and expects his exco to support him. The question is exactly which weeks the Qatar event would take place instead.
“If we go to Qatar and it’s 55 degrees, it’s not possible for the fans to come, but if it’s in winter I think it will be very nice,” said Platini.
“We have to adapt to that for the World Cup – the best event in football. The World Cup brings the people to look at this wonderful thing. That’s why I support the fact we have to play when the season is best.”
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1734781441labto1734781441ofdlr1734781441owedi1734781441sni@w1734781441ahsra1734781441w.wer1734781441dna1734781441