Blatter pushes for Qatar to hold 2022 World Cup in winter

This is complete and total BS. They won the rights to hold the World Cup because they promised to hold it in the summer (OK and because of some massive bribes as well).

You want to move the world cup? Move it to another country!!!

This shows utter incompetence and/or negligence on the part of FIFA and Sepp Blatter. The WC is a summer event because of the footballing calendar of most leagues. What is Blatter trying to play at here? Shouldn't FIFA have been able to figure out that the summer heat in Qatar would be a problem before awarding the WC to them? I suppose a fat bribe is all it takes make them look the other way even if it means jeopardizing the biggest event in the footballing world.

There is still time to move the venue. Playing the WC in summer in Qatar is near impossible, and moving to winter is just plain silly. How I wish someone would Ian Holloway would become the FIFA president. Football would be a much better run game with a few people like him around at the top.

@Full I remember Holloway's classic rant at Blatter and Platini, particularly Blatter over the Qatar World Cup. I'd argue the majority of players in World Cups are European based nowadays, disrupting domestic leagues and causing a logistical nightmare in terms of playing a full season. For me the issue should be a set of simple criteria for any prospective World Cup hosts including - Can you reasonably hold it the summer? Does your country have a genuine love of the game? Do you have stadiums and a climate conducive to good football? Can fans go to your country and enjoy a party atmosphere? Sorry to the good people of Qatar, but you don't tick the important boxes.

@Jimizo. You bring up another great point which I think is overlooked quite often, which is the cultural atmosphere of the nation to hold such a global event. Selling liquor will most probably be a problem due to religious grounds, and I suspect there will also be issues with clothing and gay fans, also due to religious grounds. And these will hold true even in winter so no respite for the fans. Considering the Qatar has not been a footballing nation neither has it ever had strong footballing traditions and/or infrastructure, it will pretty much have to start from scratch. The decision to award the WC to Qatar has looked suspect from the start, and I strongly believe there is massive corruption at the root of this matter.

Holloway's Legendary rant against FIFA, Blatter and the Qatar WC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6PacW2fJV0

The 2018 WC should've been awarded to England and the 2022 WC should've been awarded to Japan. Both countries have good enough venues to host this event. Qatar and football... before 2010 I never thought I would see the two words in the same sentence.

Look to the one remaining place where football still has some connection with the fans and has not been completely corrupted by money - The Bundesliga - for someone to fight this with a legal challenge. The Bundesliga chief executive as already hinted at this.

If this continues, it will pit the local clubs against FIFA. I could see something along the lines of a top tier team barring it's members (through the use of a salary incentive) from participating in the world cup. Imagine if someone like Kaka was guaranteed a 15 million dollar bonus to support his local clubs campaign. This is what kept Major Leaguers out of the olympics and spurred the creation of World Baseball Classic.

Mr Blatter, as you said, it is certainly possible to cool a stadium, then why there is a need to change to winter? Remember that the football is played inside the stadium not in open area outside the stadium. Then why there should be a change? If football, as you share, has to be played in the best period, then play in July and June in Europe, USA or Asia. Remember that many people, like Platini, have said that the the best time to play football in Europe is June/July. This FIFA is a circus. Any football fan as rich as Bill Gate would have already sued Platini for result fixing in a tendering or bidding process to an international court or tribunal. How could Platini have promised a change of a tendering or bidding condition before the process. It is not fair by common sense. The other of the two promises that Platini has made is still a mystery. Unluckily Bill Gate is not a soccer fan. Platini is not being sued yet because no fans are as rich to dare offend the UEFA and FIFA. Moreover, if you think that you need a party in Qatar, think again. Most fans around the world hate this location. So, whether summer or winter, many fans will boycott this event. Just leave the very rich to party in their "floating hotels" as the Qatar organizing officials proposed to build.