UEFA PRESIDENT MICHEL Platini believes a winter World Cup is feasible for the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
The country generally has temperatures of up to 50C in summer, and so staging the event during the winter could prove more beneficial for players’ welfare.
And speaking to reporters, Platini said he would be willing to disrupt European club competitions to accommodate the tournament’s schedule if necessary: “If we play in winter, [it is] not a problem to organise it.”
Alternative means of protecting players suggested have included air-conditioned stadiums and the creation of artificial clouds, while Sepp Blatter has indicated that the tournament’s location could still be switched, if allegations of bribery among voters are proven correct.
However, Platini defended the choice of Qatar to host the tournament, saying:
“I think it’s nice to go to another part of the world, with people who have never hosted the World Cup.”
Qatar were announced as the first-ever Middle East country to host the World Cup in 2022, last year.
