By Andrew Warshaw in Geneva
September 10 – Europe’s leading clubs are expected today (Tuesday) to back FIFA president Sepp Blatter’s call for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to be switched to winter as a one-off. The formal part of the European Club Association’s annual general assembly in Geneva will focus on the election of a number of new executive board members but behind the scenes the discussions will be all about 2022.
ECA senior vice-president Umberto Gandini says most leading clubs are in favour of a switch even if the likes of the Premier League and the Bundesliga are not because of the disruption it would cause to the calendar.
FIFA’s executive committee will be asked to approve a winter World Cup in principle next month though an actual replacement date may not be announced until December at the earliest once all the various stakeholders have been consulted.
“We have many individual opinions and league opinions, we do not have any ECA position yet as we will discuss this at the general assembly,” said Gandini who represents AC Milan. “Everything now is going to be moved by the FIFA executive committee decision in October.”
“I have a personal opinion that it is almost inevitable. We will have to find a solution because it is very unlikely that you can play the World Cup in Qatar in the summer.
“Or maybe you can play it then but it will be impossible for fans to follow it so something will need to be addressed. Now it is a matter of studying the possible solutions and we will have to do it.
“I think it’s important it’s going to be a one-off and is not going to something that’s going to be there for ever.
“If we have to find a one-off solution I think we will be able within the football family to find it but everybody has to be properly involved and we have to consider which is the best solution for football and the fans.”
Other items likely to be discussed by the ECA, which represents over 200 clubs, include financial fair play and the international calendar post-2015.
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