Qatar World Cup schedule switch hits snag with unions

Switching the 2022 World Cup in Qatar from summer to winter hit a snag Thursday when unions representing players, clubs and leagues in Europe did not back a UEFA proposal to approve the seasonal move, which would disrupt the schedule of professional leagues as well as international play.

Although the governing body of the 54 European countries that play soccer supported the change on Wednesday, the FIFPro unions failed to give their support to Michel Platini, president of the Union of European Football Associations, on Thursday during strategy discussions in Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Theo van Seggelen, chief executive of FIFPro, said there’s “not an agreement. That has to be agreed by FIFA and [the unions] want to be involved in the discussion.”

The oppressive summer heat along the Arabian Peninsula is the biggest concern, particularly for spectators and workers around the venues. A move to winter, though, could overlap with the Winter Olympics that year. Altering leagues’ schedules would also force clubs to potentially play in hot weather, particularly in southern Europe.
The International Olympic Committee released a statement, simply saying: “We are confident that FIFA will discuss the dates with us so as to coordinate them and avoid any effect on the Winter Games.”

Platini will take the unions’ concerns to a meeting of the 27-member FIFA executive committee on Oct. 3-4 in Zurich.

Van Seggelen said that there should be no rush in making a final decision: “We have nine years.”

Internet reports and wire services contributed to this report.

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