Sepp Blatter suggests Qatar World Cup be moved to winter season

Sepp Blatter likely to face the heat from the likes of Premier League and Bundesliga over his suggestion to change timings of2022 Qatar WC

FIFA president Sepp Blatter is again making headlines as this time he said he expects his executive committee to decide the shifting of 2022 World Cup in Qatar to winter so as to avoid the scorching summer heat.

ESPN reports that on Sunday, Blatter told the Associated Press that a meeting which is scheduled to take place in Zurich on October 3 and 4 should endorse the changes and begin a consultation about the best time for Qatar to host the tournament.

“I would be very much surprised, more than surprised, if the ExCo will not accept the principle you cannot play in summer in Qatar,” he said in an interview. “What will be following, this would be then be decided later.”

Blatter then said he will start a consensus building measure which will involve leagues, clubs, national associations and players -through their international FIFPro union.

FIFA have gradually shifted their position from maintaining that it should be Qatar who must ask for a change to initiate the change of timings for 2022 World Cup.

Earlier this year, FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke told reporters that the governing body will not prompt the discussion about change without being sure of its legal position.

Blatter defends his suggestion saying those who choose Qatar over USA knew there will be problems with heat and therefore will back the suggestion.

“Those that have taken the decision at the time, they knew there is problems with the heat. They knew it, because it was in the [technical] report,” Blatter said. “It was wrong to say: ‘Now we have to play in summer,’ because in summer you cannot play there.”

“Therefore the ExCo now shall take the decision — and they will take it — that in summer you can’t play in Qatar.”

Blatter knows that likes of Premier League and Bundesliga are likely to be the biggest roadblocks to change the schedule from its traditional summer season.

As a result, Blatter met Michel Platini, the UEFA president, on Sunday and said, “He asked me to give him some items to be discussed there.”