February 25 – The firm recommendation to stage the 2022 World Cup in winter has prompted intense reaction from among supporters and critics alike. Below is a summary of the reaction from the key stakeholders.
In Favour
Jim Boyce, who steps down in May as Britain’s FIFA vice-president:
“I have heard December 23 talked about for the final but for me that is too close to Christmas – that’s the only reservation I would have and I would like it a week earlier because all the spectators etc will want to get home for Christmas. But I want to wait until next month’s FIFA executive committee meeting to hear all the details. I welcome the fact all the stakeholders have been involved and although this is not going to please everyone I think common sense has prevailed. It will cause a lot of disruption but it is eight years away and people should have enough time to make it work It’s absolutely the right decision. There is no way you can play a World Cup in Qatar in June and July. You can air-condition the stadia but you can’t air-condition a country. The World Cup is the greatest sporting event in the calendar not only for the players but for the spectators and the conditions have to be right for all of them.”
FIFA presidential candidate Luis Figo.
“It has to be played in the best possible conditions for the fans and players who will enjoy a great World Cup atmosphere, and for Qatar who deserve to be put in the position to organise a great event.”
UEFA
UEFA supports the recommendation made by the FIFA Task Force for the International Match Calendar 2018-24 to stage the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar from late November to late December 2022. UEFA believes that – for the benefits of players and fans – the event should be played in winter and now awaits the final decision from the FIFA Executive Committee meeting on 18/19 March 2015. UEFA sees no major issues in rescheduling its competitions for the 2022/23 season, should the 2022 FIFA World Cup proposal be approved by the FIFA Executive Committee, and UEFA acknowledges that the competition may be shortened and thus that the release period of players be reduced.
CONCACAF
“Considering the welfare of our players and fans as the main priority, CONCACAF fully supports the recommendation made by the special task force to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar in the November-December timeframe.”
International Players Union (FIFPro) general secretary Theo van Seggelen (with reservations):
“Removing players from the danger zone of playing in a Qatari summer is only the first, very important step. FIFPro has tabled its concerns as the conditions in Qatar go way beyond heat. It’s a human rights matter more than anything else. Kafala does not protect the rights of the players in Qatar. Similarly, the players should have the righ to unionise, access to fair contractual standards, and dispute resolution mechanisms that align with the international football community.”
English FA chairman Greg Dyke (with reservations):
“I have said from the start we cannot possibly play in the summer in Qatar, it would be ridiculous to play then. The best option would be to not hold it in Qatar, but we are now beyond that so November/December would seem to be the best of the bad options. It will clearly disrupt the whole football calendar as it means club football stopping at the end of October. You might be able to keep the disruption to one season if you start earlier and end later but it’s going to be tough – and unnecessary because we would not be doing this if FIFA had done their work properly. This is something FIFA brought on itself by not reading the report of the safety inspector. It tells you the technical assessment was not being used as the basis for the decision.”
Opposed
European Club Association Chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge:
“Today’s recommendation of the Task Force regarding the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar does not come as a surprise; it was rather expected. For the football family the rescheduling of the FIFA World Cup 2022 presents a difficult and challenging task. All match calendars across the world will have to accommodate such tournament in 2022/23, which requires everyone’s willingness to compromise. However, the European clubs and leagues cannot be expected to bear the costs for such rescheduling. We expect the clubs to be compensated for the damage that a final decision would cause.”
Premier League Chief Executive, Richard Scudamore:
“We are extremely disappointed with the FIFA Task Force recommendation to move the 2022 FIFA World Cup to a November and December schedule. It is clear that the views of the European leagues, along with the numerous other competitions globally that will be negatively affected, have not been given serious consideration throughout this process. The prevailing view from the leagues has been that displacing the 2022 World Cup significantly from the original summer dates disproportionately impacts the sporting integrity of our competitions. Our particular concern is that a FIFA World Cup that finishes late in December could result in damaging one of the English game’s great traditions and attractions, with the removal of the entire Premier League, Football League and FA Cup Christmas and New Year fixture programme that season. Clearly there is still time within the process to consider our position further, but first we will consult with our clubs, other stakeholders in English football, and other leagues before deciding on what, if any, further action might be appropriate or worthwhile.”
European Professional Football Leagues:
“The Association of European Professional Football Leagues (EPFL) and the clubs have expressed their disagreement with respect to this proposal which will perturb and cause great damage to the normal running of the European domestic competitions. Leagues and clubs have reiterated, once again, their joint solution for holding the World Cup during the month of May. This proposal has been structured on a fact-based study which is totally acceptable from the meteorological point of view by providing reasonable climatic conditions with regard to both players and fans.”
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