European football chief Michel Platini has renewed his calls for the 2022 World Cup to be staged in the middle of the European winter to avoid the searing summer heat of Qatar.
UEFA supremo Platini, widely regarded as the heir apparent to FIFA president Sepp Blatter, told Britain’s The Daily Telegraph he plans to push for the tournament to be moved from its traditional slot in June and July.
Any move to reschedule the World Cup is likely to meet with strong resistance from top leagues across Europe, which have estimated will bring scheduling problems for three years leading into the tournament.
Platini remains adamant that the tournament in Qatar can be slotted into a mid-winter date with a minimum of disruption.
“The World Cup is the most important moment for the game every four years but where does it say we always have to play in June? I don’t see the problem of playing in December,” Platini told The Telegraph.
“What is the problem for the Premier League to finish at the end of May instead of the beginning, and recuperate the time in December? We have to put the World Cup and the fans first.”