FIFA vice-president Jim Boyce has confirmed European
countries have given their overall backing to moving the 2022 World Cup in
Qatar to the winter.
Boyce revealed the 54 UEFA associations, who have been
meeting in Croatia, want FIFA to consult much further with the game's major
stakeholders before making their decision about an exact date for the
controversial tournament.
The world governing body meets in Zurich early next month
when a decision is expected to be made in principle to moving the competition
away from the summer months, when the heat in Qatar can reach more than 50
degrees centigrade.
"There were certain reservations regarding the World
Cup in Qatar but everyone agreed that it would be impossible to play in the
severe heat of Qatar in the summer," Boyce said.
"What the 54 countries do not want FIFA to do is to
make a decision yet on exactly when in the year it is going to be played."
"What the member associations want to see at the
FIFA ExCo in October is that a task force is set up for everyone involved in
Qatar to sit around the table and come up with the best solution with the
minimum disruption.
"They all agreed to take thousands of fans to the
greatest sporting event in the world in the middle of the summer would be just
impossible.
"It's very important we get this right, it's very
important that everyone involved has a meeting, the people with their concerns
as well but it is most important is that we have a World Cup where spectators
can go and enjoy themselves.
"At the end of the day, the best interests of
football have to be sorted out and I am very confident that will be done. It's
purely a one-off.
"It's wrong to speculate at the moment when this is
going to be played. The stakeholders need to sit down and come up with the best
solution. Many leagues in Europe have a break but my own preference would be
for the end of January and early February. Hopefully FIFA will come up with the
right solution."
Player safety
FIFA is believed to prefer a November/December tournament
so that it does not clash with the Winter Olympics, whose host city will not be
decided until 2015, but that would add an effect on the Champions League to
domestic issues, which could be felt most in the United Kingdom.
Just moving the tournament away from the summer is the
major issue for FIFPro, the worldwide body that represents professional
players.
A statement read: "For FIFPro, protecting the health
and safety of professional footballers is of paramount importance and must
drive decision making at all levels of football.
"FIFPro is well aware of the particular threat of
playing professional football in extreme heat."
"FIFPro is well aware of the particular threat of
playing professional football in extreme heat. Medical and scientific experts
are clear that playing in such conditions is hazardous and requires sporting
organisations to have strong and proactive policies that ensure players are not
subjected to any unreasonable risk to their health and safety.
"Professional footballers are workers in the eyes of
the law. Accordingly, football authorities, including FIFA, the confederations,
the clubs and the member associations are legally obliged to provide a safe
working environment and cannot subject this obligation to other business
considerations.
"The whole issue of the international match calendar
is a matter for separate debate. FIFPro looks forward to participating in
detailed consultation and deliberation of all stakeholders before any radical
change is made."
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