Showing posts with label Qatar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Qatar. Show all posts

Wednesday, 11 September 2013

Clubs Open to Winter World Cup


Europe's leading clubs have stated that they are "open" to the possibility of a winter World Cup in Qatar in 2022.

Fifa chief Sepp Blatter has called for the tournament to be moved because of concern over how players would cope in summer temperatures of 40C and above.

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, the chairman of the European Club Association, which represents the top teams, said: "It is probably better to play it in winter.

"We're not in a hurry, there are still nine years to go."

Since Qatar won the right to host the World Cup in 2010, the practicalities of staging a summer competition in the Middle East have been debated.

After voicing his own concerns in July,Blatter said he would consult the host nation and his executive committee about his proposals to have the World Cup moved to the winter.

The Swiss Fifa president has also suggested that it might have been a "mistake" to award the Gulf state the World Cup.

Rummenigge added: "Having the World Cup in Qatar is not a mistake.

"After visiting Qatar at our last general assembly we had a good feeling about the organisation of a World Cup there."

Football Association chairman Greg Dyke told the BBC in August that a summer World Cup in Qatar would be "impossible".

However, the Premier League has taken an opposing stance, with chief executive Richard Scudamore saying: "My view is you can do it in the summer.

"The bid was extremely thorough, they dealt with all the issues about the heat and the managing of the air conditioning in the stadiums."
There are 10 English teams who are members of the European Club Association - Arsenal, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Everton, Fulham, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle and Tottenham.

The ECA is an independent body representing the interests of Europe's clubs. It replaced the G14 Group and the European Club Forum in 2008 and is recognised by both Fifa and Uefa.

There are 214 members, with an executive board headed by Bayern Munich chief executive Rummenigge, who was re-elected as chairman on Tuesday.


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Thursday, 25 July 2013

FIFA Want Winter for Qatar 2022


Fifa vice-president Jim Boyce has called on the Premier League to drop their opposition to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar being switched to winter.

Fifa president Sepp Blatter said he is determined to move the tournament to avoid the intense summer heat.

But the Premier League are opposed to a move as it would cause major disruptions to the fixture calendar.

"A sensible decision has to be made," Boyce told the BBC. "I would appeal to people in the Premier League."

Medical evidence highlighted the dangers of playing games in temperatures that average 40C in June and can reach 50C. The heat dips to an average of 20C during the winter months.

Qatar said it would play games in air-conditioned stadiums, but that will only resolve the problem in venues.

Boyce said: "I know Qatar has said they will air-condition the stadiums and I'm sure they will be fantastic but you have to be realistic.

"You're taking thousands of people, who want to see and enjoy a World Cup, but in temperatures exceeding 50 degrees, that would not be comfortable or healthy for all of those people.

"Probably the main objectors at the moment are the Premier League and I can understand why because there's a lot of money involved.

"But from a common sense and especially a health point of view, (a winter World Cup) is something I would dearly love to see and I would hope that people would sit down and try to sort it out."

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore is worried that momentum is shifting in favour of a winter World Cup but insists he will continue to fight the proposal.

"Ultimately Fifa will decide, so of course one is worried," he said. "We're not silly, we're not stupid, we can see that that's the way the momentum is shifting.

"They can't really just decide to shift it by six months. Everybody's running a tight calendar.

"To suddenly change it all around is very impractical and in my view won't work and it shouldn't be allowed to work."


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