FIFA general secretary, Jerome Valcke, announced earlier today that the 2022 World Cup Qatar will not be played in June/July, but the mother-body of football was quick to deny that such a decision has already been made.
Valcke used an appearance on French radio to announce what many people in the football world have long been thinking about.
”To be honest, I think it will be held between 15 November and 15 January at the latest,” said Valcke.
“If you play between 15 November and the end of December that’s the time when the weather conditions are best, when you can play in temperatures equivalent to a warm spring season in Europe, averaging 25 degrees. That would be perfect for playing football.”
However, Valcke’s statements rather seem to be his personal opinion than a shared decision by the FIFA executive committee, which confirmed immediately that they won’t be making a decision on the matter until the end of 2014.
FIFA vice president, Jim Boyce, told Sky Sports:
“This has to be a decision that’s made by the executive committee of FIFA. I’m totally surprised by what I’ve heard this morning.
“The situation as I’m aware was that at the FIFA executive committee would await a report set up by all the stakeholders involved…and there would be no further discussions before the December executive meeting.
“Whether Jerome was expressing a personal opinion, I don’t know, but this has not been discussed by the executive committee.”
Such a radical change of the World Cup would have widespread consequences.
The qualification for the 2022 World Cup would obviously need new international breaks for qualification rounds and definitely disrupt the European leagues – most of all the English Prmier League, which doesn’t have a winter break.
But even apart from football, a “Winter World Cup” would challenge the sport across many levels as it would interfere with the 2022 Winter Olympics and many other events.
What is your take on this new confusion around the 2022 World Cup? Have your say in the comment section below.
