By Andrew Warshaw, chief correspondent, in Geneva
September 10 – Europe’s leading clubs today urged FIFA not to rush into moving the 2022 Qatar World Cup to winter as debate intensified over Sepp Blatter’s support for an unprecedented switch. Twenty-four hours after the FIFA president re-iterated, an exclusive interview with Insideworldfootball, that he would seek approval in principle for a one-off winter World Cup from his executive committee next month, the European Club Association, which represents more than 200 clubs, warned against a hasty decision.
During his interview with Insideworldfootball, Blatter said it was “high time” Europe understood it was not the only voice when it came to decisions of such magnitude.
But following its general assembly at a downtown Geneva hotel, ECA chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge hit back by urging caution.
“I personally believe there is no hurry,” the Bayern Munich boss told reporters. “I don’t understand why FIFA would like to make an early decision, possibly at its next exco meeting in October.”
“There are still nine years to go. That is more than enough time to do this very sensibly and prudently so that all stakeholders can be happy with any possible change.”
UEFA president Michel Platini has long argued for a winter tournament in 2022, indeed insisting he voted for Qatar on that very basis in order to avoid playing in the searing desert summer heat.
The next key date is UEFA’s own summit in Dubrovnik later this month when European leagues, national associations, clubs and players will gather on the eve of UEFAs executive committee meeting to try to agree on a common European approach to present to FIFA’s top brass.
Rummenigge didn’t make it clear whether his organisation would prefer a November-December tournament, which would shut down Europe’s top leagues for several weeks, or a January event, which Platini favours. But he effectively laid down the gauntlet to Fifa not to take a unilateral decision without full consultation with his members.
“We will have a discussion in Dubrovnik but we will do it very carefully in the right way,” he said. “Nothing should be done too soon. We have to be very careful in terms of how much a change from summer to a different time would impact on our business.
“We would like to be involved in the decision-making process at a serious level. We want guarantees that we are involved in the decision-making process. If there is a change, the clubs, the leagues, the associations and the players have the right to be heard.”
Yet for all his strong words, Rummenigge was nevertheless sympathetic to Qatar’s hosting a World Cup in the region, possibly because the ECA held last year’s general assembly in the Gulf state as part of a fact-finding project and to foster improved relations with the region.
“What I am missing a bit is respect for Qatar,” Rummenigge said. “I’m not sure it was a mistake to give the World Cup to Qatar because no Arab country has ever hosted. Everyone accepted it and it’s not nice for the people in Qatar to be listening to all this.
“We were the first body to go to Qatar to have a look what is happening there. We had a very good general feeling regarding the organisation of the World Cup.”
AC Milan’s Umberto Gandini, the ECA’s vice-chairman, told Insideworldfootball there were far too many aspects that had to be taken into consideration before FIFA announces an actual replacement date.
“Everyone is worried about the players who are going to play in the World Cup. What about the players who are not, which is the vast majority?” Gandini asked.
“This is a concern. Blatter says Europe no longer dominates. Fine, no problem, but what about all those teams that will have to stop playing because of a change of World Cup dates? What about cash flow for clubs who have to play salaries to players who are not playing?
“How can they pay the bills without playing competitions? And what about countries who don’t qualify? These are practical problems. It’s not just a question of moving, period. The question is, to when? Our position is, don’t rush into a decision.”
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