• World Cup 2022

Blatter expects winter World Cup in Qatar

ESPNsoccernet staff
January 7, 2011
The choice of Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup is set to cause contoversy for some time © Getty Images
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FIFA president Sepp Blatter has said he expects the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to be staged in the winter rather than the traditional summer slot.

The decision to award football's showpiece event to the tiny Middle Eastern country was a controversial one and many critics predicted it would have far-reaching repercussions.

Speaking in the Qatari capital Doha before the opening match of the Asian Cup, Blatter said: "I expect it [the World Cup] will be held in the winter.

"We have time to look at this question, it is still 11 years away but we must decide the most adequate period for a successful World Cup which means January or the end of the year."

Summer temperatures in Qatar can soar to over 40 degrees Celsius while those in the winter months are far more comfortable.

If the World Cup is switched from its traditional date in June and July it will have a huge impact on domestic football's fixture list.

Germany coach Joachim Low said on Wednesday he was opposed to playing the 2022 World Cup during winter, saying it would be a disadvantage to fans in Europe.

"At the World Cup in 2006, the European Championships in 2008 and the World Cup in 2010, there were millions on the streets ... if the World Cup in 2022 takes place in winter, no fan is going to be on the street if it's minus five degrees (23 degrees Fahrenheit)," Low said.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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