Qatar 2022: What the biggest influences in football think of a winter World Cup
The Premier League and other European leagues appear furious at the implication on their schedules while others have accepted a winter tournament is the only solution.
Tuesday 24 February 2015 18:07, UK
After a FIFA task force recommends that Qatar 2022 be played in November/ December, we break down the reaction to the controversial proposition of a winter World Cup.
Richard Scudamore – Premier League CEO
Scudamore is a member of the FIFA task force himself and said they were simply told of the decision in this morning’s meeting, which the European leagues hoped would be a lengthy discussion. Scudamore says the Premier League is “very disappointed” by the recommendation and, ominously, announced they “will consult with clubs, stakeholders and other leagues before deciding on whether further action might be appropriate”.
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge – European Club Association chairman
Rummenigge heads the ECA, an independent body directly representing football clubs at European level including Premier League teams Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham and Newcastle.
He said: “Today’s recommendation does not come as a surprise. All match calendars across the world will have to accommodate, which requires everyone’s willingness to compromise. However, the European clubs and leagues cannot be expected to bear the costs for such rescheduling. We expect the clubs to be compensated for the damage that a final decision would cause.”
Deutsche Fussball Liga – governers of Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2
Andreas Rettig, the managing director of DFL, has warned of the strain on players and financial stress on clubs, urging FIFA to address the concerns of the European leagues.
He said: "The decision places both an organisational and financial burden on the European leagues and FIFA must now specifically state what it plans to do in order to address all concerns. A shorter match schedule cannot mean the same number of matches played in a briefer period.”
Franz Beckenbauer – FIFA task force & former FIFA ExCo member
Beckenbauer, straight out of the meeting, told Sky Deutschland: “Although the Emir said originally that he wanted to cool down the stadiums, why such a hassle if we have a winter with good temperatures?”
Scottish Professional Football League
A spokesman for the SPFL said: “The SPFL will await the final decision on scheduling before we consider the implications on fixtures."
The Association of European Professional Football Leagues
A statement read: “The EPFL and its clubs have expressed their disagreement with respect to this proposal, which will perturb and cause great damage to the normal running of the European domestic competitions.”
Luis Figo – FIFA presidential candidate
Figo said: “The FIFA task force recommendation is the right decision for the World Cup. It has to be played in the best possible conditions for the fans and for Qatar, who deserve to be put in the position to organise a great event. With good will and a sense of solidarity it is always possible to find the right solutions.”
Arsene Wenger – Arsenal manager
Ahead of his side’s Champions League clash with Monaco, the Gunners boss said: “I regret that it took them so much time to realise it’s impossible to play in the summer in Qatar in the first place. It makes sense to hold it in winter if you want people to survive. I’m not a specialist in fixture scheduling but I am conscious it will be in the middle of a Premier league season.”
Peter Schmeichel – former Manchester United and Denmark goalkeeper
“When will the Premier League start that year? How is the Champions League going to be? Are FIFA expecting the best players not to play for their clubs in that period? It’s very difficult to see how it will work. At the end of the day they have to admit they’ve made a big mistake giving it to Qatar."
