Skip to main content

ECA aim to move Qatar World Cup to April to avoid disruption

Spring tournament fits around domestic competitions

Elite clubs in England and Spain will ask Fifa next week to move the 2022 Qatar World Cup from June to April 28-May 29.

Fifa president Sepp Blatter would like to move the tournament to November to avoid playing in the extremely hot conditions during the Qatar summer.

But such plans would disrupt the European leagues as well as the Champions League.

The European Club Association (ECA), formed in 2008 by 16 teams including Manchester United, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Real Madrid, plan includes pushing the start of domestic seasons   in Augusttwo weeks earlier in 2021 and moving domestic cups to after the international tournament in a “cup-only period in June.”

“In countries with a significant amount of domestic fixtures, the domestic cup could be played following the World Cup,” the ECA proposed ahead of Monday’s Fifa Qatar 2022 Task Force meeting.

The ECA also intend to condense the Champions League to play the round of 16 in the space of two weeks rather than a month while also removing international matches in March.

The proposal leaves 10 days between clubs being obliged to release players on April 18 and the World Cup kick off.

This leaves virtually no time for international sides to rest players, set up training camps and warm-up games. Before this year’s tournament in Brazil, some teams played three friendlies in the final weeks of preparation.

But, speaking earlier in the week, ECA chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge maintained that the ECA plan was better than Blatter’s winter World Cup.

“At the moment, there are two proposals on the table: the Fifa proposal in November and the Uefa proposal in January,” Rummenigge said.

“Ours takes into account the climate issue while preserving the traditional running of a club football season. 

“The impact on national team fixtures and Uefa Club Competitions remains limited and the proposal has no impact at all on the (likely February 2022) Winter Olympics or the confederations’ tournaments in 2023.

“This proposal needs to be seriously considered by all stakeholders. It is an achievable solution.”

The Association of European Professional Football Leagues, however, believes that moving the tournament away from June-July damages the scheduling of domestic competitions.

OWNED BY OUR READERS

We're a reader-owned co-operative, which means you can become part of the paper too by buying shares in the People’s Press Printing Society.

 

 

Become a supporter

Fighting fund

You've Raised:£ 13,288
We need:£ 4,712
3 Days remaining
Donate today