• World Cup

Premier League against winter World Cup

ESPN staff
July 18, 2013
Sepp Blatter wants to move the Qatar 2022 World Cup to winter © Getty Images
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The Premier League has hit out at FIFA proposals to move the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to the winter.

With temperatures in the Gulf state able to reach up to 50°C during the summer, FIFA president Sepp Blatter confirmed on Wednesday that he will ask the governing body's executive committee to reschedule the tournament.

UEFA president Michel Platini and Qatar 2022 World Cup committee secretary general Hassan Al Thawadi are among those who also believe holding the tournament in the winter is the best solution.

The Premier League, however, has long opposed a winter World Cup as it feels it will cause major disruption to the three domestic seasons surrounding the 2022 tournament, as well as impacting on broadcasting contracts.

A Premier League spokesman told Press Association Sport: "The Premier League position remains unchanged. The prospect of a winter World Cup is neither workable nor desirable for European domestic football.''

FIFA says the issue will go to its executive committee meeting on October 3 and 4 in Zurich, when a final decision on the matter will be taken.

A FIFA spokesman said: "As mentioned by the FIFA president yesterday, he will bring forward the matter of playing the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar in winter to the FIFA executive committee on the occasion of their next meeting scheduled for October 3 and 4, 2013. This matter will now be with the executive committee and we can therefore not comment further before the meeting has taken place.''

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