Clubs say FIFA did not properly consult them on plans to move the Qatar 2022 to a winter date
Europe's top football clubs have expressed anger at how
governing body FIFA has handled the debate over whether to move the 2022 World
Cup to a winter date to avoid the summer heat in Qatar.
At the general assembly of the European Club Association
(ECA) in Geneva, which was attended by 136 of the world’s top football clubs,
the members expressed anger at the way FIFA president Blatter has made various
unilateral announcements about the 2022 World Cup, which was awarded to Qatar
in December, and his views on whether it may be held in the summer or winter
months.
ECA board member David Gill of Manchester United told
reporters the clubs were surprised about how the debate over the 2022 World Cup
developed, sparked by Blatter's comments.
Last month Blatter said he expected the World Cup to be in
the winter but this week said he now expected it to be in the summer of 2022
although no formal discussion has taken place.
"There has been concern obviously in the way this
debate has manifested itself. That is the view of more than 100 clubs and the
European leagues. This is a major thing that will have ramifications for club
football for three seasons.
"For it to happen in that way was somewhat surprising.
This is an issue that has not been dealt with correctly."
The ECA announced a set of "new basic principles"
they would like to see for drawing up the international calendar with rules
that cannot be changed.
They want a maximum of one international tournament per
player per year to stop player exhaustion.
They also want national team "periods" as opposed
to single dates for official or friendly games and a period of at least seven
weeks without any international football following major tournaments like the
World Cup or continental tournaments.
"We need to be listened to. If you are not heard, you
need to scream for attention," said Umberto Gandini, an AC Milan director
and vice-chairman of the ECA.
"I wouldn't say we are at war, the clubs
are very patient, but we have our limits. We hope UEFA and FIFA will hear what
we have to say to them. We have no doubt they will listen to us and consider
that what we are asking for is logical and fair," added Sandro Rosell, an
ECA vice-president and president of Spanish champions Barcelona, which recently signed
a $39.8m yearly sponsorship deal with 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar.
This is getting really ludicrous; I want to raise the issue of “EQUALITY AND FAIR PLAY†which I think is one of the many mottos that the sports world uses.
For the past EIGHTY years the World Cup was played in the summer and in an environment suited the delicacy of the westerns and their fragility; so why not choose one of the following options and maintain “EQUALITY AND FAIR PLAYâ€
Option 1:
Keep the timing as it is now and let the westerns or I should say the world top teams and players show us how tough and resilient they are when they are put to the real test.
Option 2:
World Cup was played in the summer for the past EIGHTY years; how about playing it in the winter for the coming EIGHTY years.
Be open-minded UEFA and FIFA.
See you in Qatar 2022
Option 1: Why would teams lend their expensive players for that? They are already quite unhappy with FIFA to damage their players even more.
Option 2: Doing what you mean (playing in Dec-Jan)would involve changing the whole business model of soccer. I doubt that will happen just to accommodate your wishes. Actually the world cup has been played in winter everytime it has been played on the southern hemisphere. Last one in SA, for example.
It is a long way until 2022, let see what happens, in the meantime I suggest you check some of the news in the European press about the many issues with FIFA. They are really entertaining, Blatter may end up having some serious issues.
To KAA , The best players in the world play in Europe , the best teams in the world are in Europe , the best stadiums in the world are in Europe , the best leagues in the world are in Europe but not all the players are ' western ' . African , South American , Asian , Austrailasian and so forth.
The heat here in Qatar is not conducive to a world class tournament , that's just a fact my friend it has nothing to do with being Western . There's still a very real chance that this competition will not happen as money talks and the European clubs and Associations are just not happy and the way Qatar organised the Asian game just goes to show you how far they are behind Europe in organising football tournaments .
This is not subjective it's how it is . The gulf needs to accept it's frailities before it tries to put on the greatest show on earth . You can't censor the press or gag journalists when you have over 700,000 people entering the country . Qatar has so much to do to get ready .
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