The Premier League has criticised proposals to move the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to the winter as “neither workable nor desirable” as FIFA announced on Friday a decision could be taken as soon as October.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter yesterday confronted the issue of playing in the searing June heat of Qatar by stating he believed it could not take place in the summer, a position that has been backed up by the international players’ union FIFPro.
The world governing body said the issue will go to FIFA’s executive committee meeting on October 3 and 4.
The Premier League has long opposed any such move on the grounds it will cause major disruption to three domestic seasons – the 2021-22 season and the ones either side – as well as impacting on broadcasting contracts.
A Premier League spokesman told the Press Association: “The Premier League position remains unchanged. The prospect of a winter World Cup is neither workable nor desirable for European domestic football.”
FIFA’s executive committee will meet in Zurich for a decision on the issue.
The heat in Qatar was always known as an issue but in 2010 the executive committee voted overwhelmingly to give the country the 2022 tournament.
That decision came despite FIFA’s inspectors giving Qatar a “high risk” rating – the only bidding country to receive that category – and to warn the heat was “a potential health risk for players, officials, the FIFA family and spectators”.