By Andrew Warshaw
September 30 – As FIFA’s top brass gather in Zurich for this week’s landmark decision on whether to switch the 2022 World Cup from the tournament’s traditional summer slot, the new president of the International Olympic Committee says he doubts there will ultimately be a clash with the winter Olympics the same year.
Thomas Bach has revealed he has spoken to FIFA president Sepp Blatter and gave the broadest hint yet that football’s world governing body are working towards switching the World Cup to November-December as distinct from January-February when the winter Olympics are likely to take place.
No firm alternative date for Qatar 2022 is likely to be agreed on Friday by FIFA’s executive committee, which will instead almost certainly approve the principle of a shift from June-July and then allow for extensive discussions with all the various stakeholders.
Bach, who succeeded Jacques Rogge at the helm of the IOC this month, told BBC Radio said he would not speculate on the upcoming decision but, tellingly, added: “So far we have heard the proposal by the FIFA president to have it in November 2022, and there would be no clash whatsoever. We will now see how the discussions go. We are confident that in the mutual interest there will be a good solution for both big events and no clash with the dates.”
“I’m not worried at all. What I know is that I spoke with President Blatter about this proposal, November, and there would be no conflict at all.”
UEFA’s 54 members have given their backing to the principle of a switch but would prefer the tournament to take place in January when a large part of Europe is on winter break and in order to protect the Champions League and Europa League which are in full swing in November-December.
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