Bin Hammam supports winter World Cup
- by Soccer America , Dec 30, 2010
[WORLD CUP 2022] Qatari Mohamed bin Hammam, the president of the Asian Football Confederation and a key member of the
FIFA executive committee that picked Qatar over the USA to host the 2022 World Cup, became the latest person to back moving the 2022 World Cup to the winter months to avoid Qatar's desert heat in
summer.
Qatar proposed air-conditioning stadiums and other facilities to combat the heat that averages 107 degrees in the summer, but FIFA executive committee members Franz Beckenbauer and Michel Platini quickly came out in support of making the switch after Qatar's selection on Dec. 2 as the
2022 host.
FIFPro, the international players union, went so far as to say the event "must be held in winter."
"If the competition were held in June and July, it will
perfectly organized by the host," Bin Hammam said. "If the competition would be moved to January, it will be a sort of win-win situation for all the parties."
Opposition to the move has
mostly come from big European clubs, who would be impacted by modifications in the schedule for the 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons.
Bin Hammam's AFC is organizing the 2011 Asian Cup
in January for the very reasons the 2022 World Cup looks to be headed to the winter. And this is despite the fact that the winter schedule poses conflicts for national teams trying to get players
released from European clubs.
Switching to the "Winter Games" still doesn't answer
the question about living and working conditions for the "guest workers" who do all the heavy lifting in qatar. Somebody is going to have to monitor qatari labor practices and human rights abuses for the imported non arab peoples.
Switching the WC season to winter after the selection was made should reopen the bidding procedure. Bids were made and qatar was selected under a different set of conditions. Do it over.
Dream on, James. The decision has been made by the "oily" members of FIFA's Exco and they're not about to give back their petrodollars now. Might as well play it in the winter and make the best of a bad situation. Sadly, labor rights and human rights simply are not on these peoples' radar either. Would that it were different.
Hmmm... If the move is made then it seems to me that the other bidding groups would be entitled to at least reimbursments for all their expenses regarding the bidding process which it turns out that on perhaps preplanned (could be more damages) by those in charge was never intended to be held during the summer months. Talk about misleading!! I say sue them in the USA for sure and the other European power brokers can join in.FIFA does business here they can be held to a judgement. It does not take years of law school to smell something shady here. The USA, Australian etc groups need to start looking at their legal options. email me if you need help guys!! comon this was the plan from the beginning!
Since it is illegal to be gay in Qatar-a gay plyaer needs to come out and refuse to go based on human rights and have the ACLU and all of the other groups sue FIFA and get the World Cup in a soccer nation.