By Andrew Warshaw
February 7 – Sepp Blatter appears to have performed a major U-turn over the 2022 Qatar World Cup, now declaring the tournament will be held in summer after all.
Ever since the World Cup was controversially awarded to the tiny Middle East state, doubts have been raised – including by the FIFA President himself -over the wisdom of staging the tournament in summer because of the searing desert heat that can reach 50 degrees.
Blatter was among those who suggested on numerous occasions that, exceptionally, the tournament should be held in winter and that European schedules be altered accordingly to accommodate a switch.
UEFA President Michel Platini, the players uinion Fifpro and outgoing FIFA Executive Committee member Franz Beckenbauer have all agreed winter would be preferable – even given the disruption it would cause.
But in an interview to be aired later Monday, Blatter stated for the first time publicly that there may be no change to the current status quo and also appeared to rule out sharing the tournament with other Gulf nations, another Platini idea.
Blatter revealed that a delegation from Qatar had just visited FIFA headquarters in Zurich to sign the final documentation and appeared to suggest that it was at this meeting that it was decided the World Cup would be played in the summer months.
“Everything is settled now for summer. All the 64 matches will be played in the territory of Qatar,” Blatter told BBC Radio.
“I have said I am not in favour of one or the other,” he added over the question of winter or summer.
“I think for the time being the matter is on ice.”
He did not completely rule out a change in the future, however, if there was enough global backing to put pressure on Qatar.
“In the bidding documents, it was clearly established that the [FIFA] Executive Committee reserved the right to change anything…but in this case it must come from Qatar,” said Blatter.
These latest comments are bound to cause widespread concern, not least because FIFA”s own technical inspection panel warned in their report before Qatar was awarded the World Cup that there was a potential health risk to players and fans alike if the tournament was staged there in summer.
The first opportunity for Europe’s clubs to respond comes tomorrow at the European Club Association general assembly in Geneva, likely to be attended by over 100 top-ranked clubs.
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