By Andrew Warshaw
December 16 – Europe’s clubs and leagues have devised a last-ditch strategy for keeping the Qatar 2022 World Cup close to the tournament’s traditional summer time slot in order to avoid an unpredecented and controversial switch to winter.
The two stakeholder groups have agreed to present a joint and detailed plan to FIFA to stage the finals in late May and early June, thereby avoiding both the height of the Qatari summer and the disruption that a winter World Cup would cause to much of the global playing calendar.
Last month, a recommendation by the clubs to stage 2022 in April and May was rejected as not feasible because it would clash with the religious festival of Ramadan.
Instead, the FIFA-appointed Task Force that has spent what seems like an eternity looking into the best possible solution for avoiding the searing Gulf summer heat announced that a winter World Cup was the most viable option, either in November-December or January-February.
But Europe’s clubs and leagues, represented by the European Club Association (ECA) and the European Professional Football Leagues (EPFL), were unhappy that they were not given an opportunity to fully state their position and that their views were given short shrift.
As a result, they have now formed a fresh common position that will be presented to the next meeting of the Task Force towards the end of February.
“FIFA said April-May was not possible because of Ramadan so we thought ‘okay let’s just move it’ by a few days’,” an ECA spokesman told Insideworldfootball. “The EPFL joined us and we have formulated a new proposal that extends the tournament into the first week of June.”
“We all know that FIFA doesn’t want May but we think this arrangement would work. It would still be hot but no hotter than, say, a fan travelling to southern Spain for his summer holidays. And not nearly as hot as Qatar in July.”
Although they are making a concerted effort to stave off a winter World Cup, privately the ECA, which represents the interests of more than 200 clubs, are resigned to the fact that even this latest proposal will probably not be accepted.
Significantly, it will not get the backing of UEFA which represents Europe’s national associations and whose support is deemed critical. UEFA boss Michel Platini has already gone on record as saying the Qatar tournament will not be held between April and September.
A decision on a firm date for 2022 is expected to be made in March and one high-ranking European club source told Insideworldfootball: “We think this window works but I’m very sceptical whether it will get the necessary attention. It will be presented officially to FIFA and then to the Task Force but once you don’t have UEFA on your side, it’s a tough battle to win.
“Other continents, not just Europe, will also be adversely affected by a winter World Cup. But some confederations are just happy to go along with whatever FIFA wants.”
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