Blatter to push for winter world cup 2022

[Red-4-Life]

FIFA president Sepp Blatter will push for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to be moved to the winter after getting a personal taste of the Middle East's blast furnace climate.

There has been widespread concern over the health dangers posed by staging the tournament in the Gulf in June and July when temperatures rocket to 50 degrees.

Blatter insisted he would push at the FIFA executive committee meeting in October to have the World Cup moved despite the effects it could have on domestic leagues.

"The executive committee will certainly follow me," Blatter was quoted as telling a two-day sports conference in Austria.

Blatter said a recent visit to Jordan and the Palestinian Territories had brought home the dangers of the intense heat.

He expressed his fears despite the Qataris' ambitious plans to build air-conditioned arenas.

"It is clear that you cannot play in this heat in the summer and we have to consider the players," he said.

"It is certainly possible to cool a stadium, but not an entire country. That's why we need to have courage in the executive committee and to create awareness among the leagues that we need to change something."

Qatar plans to spend around $US65 billion ($70.75 billion) on infrastructure projects, including building new high-tech stadiums, which the Qatar 2022 supreme committee said would likely cost up to $US5 billion.

Average temperatures in Qatar are markedly cooler in December, with highs of 24C and lows of 15C.

In June this year, UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino added his weight to calls for the 2022 World Cup to be staged later in the year.

"I fully share the view that you have to play in the best period for football - that is not June or July in Qatar. This is an issue that FIFA has to sort out," he said.

"The sooner they do it, the better. The decision for 2022 was taken in 2010 so, in 12 years, you can organise yourself."

Qatar has already said it was ready to host the World Cup in summer or in winter.

"Various figures from the world of football have raised preferences for hosting in the winter," the Qatar committee said in a statement earlier this year.

"We are ready to host the World Cup in summer or winter. Our planning isn't affected either way."

The committee said it planned to provide air-conditioning in stadiums, training areas and public zones, and would do so with renewable energy.

"We will forge ahead with implementing and developing this technology. Our commitment to this is grounded in the legacy it will offer for Qatar and countries with similar climates."

http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/news/116 ... -World-Cup

[Raich Carter]

FIFA president Sepp Blatter will push for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to be moved to the winter after getting a personal taste of the Middle East's blast furnace climate.

There has been widespread concern over the health dangers posed by staging the tournament in the Gulf in June and July when temperatures rocket to 50 degrees.

Blatter insisted he would push at the FIFA executive committee meeting in October to have the World Cup moved despite the effects it could have on domestic leagues.

"The executive committee will certainly follow me," Blatter was quoted as telling a two-day sports conference in Austria.

Blatter said a recent visit to Jordan and the Palestinian Territories had brought home the dangers of the intense heat.

He expressed his fears despite the Qataris' ambitious plans to build air-conditioned arenas.

"It is clear that you cannot play in this heat in the summer and we have to consider the players," he said.

"It is certainly possible to cool a stadium, but not an entire country. That's why we need to have courage in the executive committee and to create awareness among the leagues that we need to change something."

Qatar plans to spend around $US65 billion ($70.75 billion) on infrastructure projects, including building new high-tech stadiums, which the Qatar 2022 supreme committee said would likely cost up to $US5 billion.

Average temperatures in Qatar are markedly cooler in December, with highs of 24C and lows of 15C.
In June this year, UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino added his weight to calls for the 2022 World Cup to be staged later in the year.

"I fully share the view that you have to play in the best period for football - that is not June or July in Qatar. This is an issue that FIFA has to sort out," he said.

"The sooner they do it, the better. The decision for 2022 was taken in 2010 so, in 12 years, you can organise yourself."

Qatar has already said it was ready to host the World Cup in summer or in winter.

"Various figures from the world of football have raised preferences for hosting in the winter," the Qatar committee said in a statement earlier this year.

"We are ready to host the World Cup in summer or winter. Our planning isn't affected either way."

The committee said it planned to provide air-conditioning in stadiums, training areas and public zones, and would do so with renewable energy.

"We will forge ahead with implementing and developing this technology. Our commitment to this is grounded in the legacy it will offer for Qatar and countries with similar climates."

http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/news/116 ... -World-Cup

And the average temps in Australia, USA, Japan and South Korea are a lot less in JUNE so tell Blatter to move the Cup to one of these countries and lets have the World Cup when everyone expects to have it.

[Bomber]

How about checking all this crap out before awarding it to a country. Or were all those delegate meetings in Qatar all done indoors in airconditioning with sole purpose to get handouts? Maybe they just all forgot to step outside of their limos when they were there.

[Steve#4]

How about checking all this crap out before awarding it to a country. Or were all those delegate meetings in Qatar all done indoors in airconditioning with sole purpose to get handouts? Maybe they just all forgot to step outside of their limos when they were there.

A hand full of money makes a nice fan

[ozzie owl]

How about checking all this crap out before awarding it to a country. Or were all those delegate meetings in Qatar all done indoors in airconditioning with sole purpose to get handouts? Maybe they just all forgot to step outside of their limos when they were there.

Not unless some one spills the beans on the corruption over the WC voting process.

[Knight15]

Having visited Qatar twice 3 years ago, once in June and again in August, I thought they had no chance of getting the World Cup. Obviously I underestimated the corruption that is so rife in FIFA

[Derek]

I think someone should assassinate this man

[God is an Englishman]

close down the european leagues for how many weeks?

Think of the players, what about the hundreds of thousands of fans who travel who won't be able to spend their whole time in air conditioned facilities? What about all the training facilities?

Speak to anyone in the middle east and they will tell you, they basically don't go out during "summer".

[Tin Soldier]

I think someone should assassinate this man

Here here

[sephiroth]

lawyers for Australia, USA et al rubbing their hands together with glee.

[Bomber]

Fuck Blatter, Fuck the Diaz brothers, fuck all of them cockaroachez!

[Con M]

Could it be the year of a partially-boycotted World Cup?

Surely the Europeans would vote as a bloc to boycott?

Even the ones with that 2-week winter break wouldn't get sucked in, what with the Cup lasting a month and the need for earlier player release to the national team's preparations, a couple of friendlies etc, then exhausted players needing a further break to recover before returning to their domestic Euro Leagues.

It's still incredible that the 22-man FIFA ExCo didn't consider all this! Or they did and couldn't give a toss.

[Red-4-Life]

I reckon if they want to have a winter WC then there will be boycotts...there is no way all these big leagues can just go on hold. That on the factors of no booze, no partying, no holding your partners hand in public, nothing to do etc etc will also be a deterrent for spectators.

[George Gotzías]

And the average temps in Australia, USA, Japan and South Korea are a lot less in JUNE so tell Blatter to move the Cup to one of these countries and lets have the World Cup when everyone expects to have it.

For other reasons I don't believe Qatar should have hosted it, but I have no problem in it being a different time of year should the climate of a country that deserves to host it (ie Saudi Arabia) suggest a different time of year. You want something for the world to embrace you have to accept different parts of the world have different climates.

[George Gotzías]

close down the european leagues for how many weeks?

Why should it revolve around Europe? If Norway, Russia and the like can adapt their season every two years for this there is no reason why other countries can't do it once in a while.

[Derek]

Because we are more important

[God is an Englishman]

close down the european leagues for how many weeks?

Why should it revolve around Europe? If Norway, Russia and the like can adapt their season every two years for this there is no reason why other countries can't do it once in a while.

where are the top 4 leagues in the world, will they be affected?

would love to see the premier league, seria a, la liga and bundesliga tell fifa to fuck off

[George Gotzías]

If you want something for everyone you have to expect everyone to be inconvenienced once in a while.

[Derek]

No

[sephiroth]

they get their insurance payouts from FIFA, they won't complain.