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29 March 2024

AFC chief backs winter World Cup in Qatar

Mohamed Bin Hammam. (FILE)

Published
By Allaam Ousman

Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Mohamed Bin Hammam backed the idea of moving the 2022 Fifa World Cup to be held in Qatar to January or February but said it was premature to discuss about it being co-hosted by other countries in the region.

“As a Qatari citizen I can assure you that our country is ready and willing to host a very comfortable World Cup in the summer season. We have presented solutions to heat challenges during June-July,” said Bin Hammam addressing concerns in several quarters after Qatar became the first Middle East country to be awarded the World Cup.

However, the Asian football chief did not entertain the idea of Fifa president Joseph Sepp Blatter that some matches could be staged in neighbouring countries such as UAE.

“It is absolutely the right of the hosting association if they want to share this success or competition with the others,”.Bin Hammam told reporters on the sidelines of the Dubai International Sports Conference held at The Address Hotel on Tuesday.

“I think it is actually premature. They (Fifa) should discuss with the executive committee who will be in place in 2018 may be if they want to do anything. I believe it is not the right time to speak about these things by Mr Blatter,” he said.

It was the first time any official from Qatar had talked about the subject of co-hosting the 2022 event since Blatter had stated during the Fifa Club World Cup held in Abu Dhabi that Qatar could invite other regional countries to stage some matches in a show of solidarity.

Top officials of the UAE Football Association told Emirates 24|7 earlier that they were willing and ready to do so but the invitation had to come from Qatar.

Nevertheless, Bin Hammam was willing to discuss the possibility of shifting the World Cup to the cooler months, an idea first mooted by Franz Beckenbauer and also supported by Blatter.

“I believe it is more a desire by national associations outside Asia, our region. Organising the World Cup in the middle of the season like January is a solution actually because players are going to be fit to play and entertain their fans,” he said pointing out that at the end of the season players are really exhausted after a long season after playing more than 60-70 games a year in the top leagues.

“So this is actually a requirement not by us but for the welfare of the players. Secondly January is also sort of dead season with most of leagues in Europe  not playing with one or two exceptions. So it is not going to affect the leagues or clubs  if they play World Cup in January,” he said.

“I presume that if the competition will be maintained in June-July it is going to be perfectly organised by the hosts. If it moves to January, I believe there will be sort of win win situation for all the parties,” said the AFC chief who outlined the Vision Asia projects during the conference.

England manager Fabio Capello weighing into the debate said it was impossible to play the World Cup in Qatar and called for it to moved to January or February.

“It is not easy for players to stay around in Qatar. This is a big problem not only for the training. When you play together for a long time you need to relax and do something different,” he said.

But he admitted it would be not easy to find a date other than during June-July.

Barcelona president Sandro Rosell congratulated Fifa for awarding it to Qatar and felt that new technology could resolve the problem of heat.

“Firstly I congratulate Middle East to have a World Cup. We consider that football is a global activity,” he said.
“In Spain during 1982 World Cup, I remember it was 40 degrees and nobody complained. In 2022 new technology will be there and stadiums will be air-conditioned,” said Rosell.

But he was against the event being moved to January or February. “I don’t like to break Spanish League because it is one of the leagues in Europe which has continuity in January,” he said.

AC Milan Executive Manager Umberto Gandini also lauded the Qatar World Cup 2022 decision by Fifa. “We are confident everything will be in order for a fantastic World Cup,” he said although aware of the concerns expressed by people like Capello.

“I understand the worries that everybody in the world of football such as players, coaches have about what it is going to be in June 2022 in Qatar. “Obviously we don’t know. For the time being we are very happy to say that the 2022 World Cup will be in Qatar in June-July and this is a fact,” said Gandini who addressed the club versus country in relation to the international calendar and player insurance along with Capello and Rosell.