Premier League Still Opposes Winter Wc

The Premier League has restated its opposition to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar being played in winter despite recent comments from senior figures in British football in support of the idea.

Fifa vice-president Jim Boyce had told the BBC that the Premier League should incorporate a winter break to allow the competition to be played for the benefit of supporters.

‘Forget about the fact Qatar say they can air condition stadiums, you have to think of the thousands of supporters travelling to what is the greatest football event in the calendar and you’re going to be asking them to travel in a country with temperatures exceeding 45 degrees,’ he said. 

‘I don’t think it’s healthy and I don’t think it’s feasible so my idea would be to play the tournament in the January. Many other countries have a winter break. This is a one-off, for one year.’

Premier League chairman Sir Dave Richards also said to Sky Sport New: ‘We have to find a way to have a winter spell where we don’t play and I think common sense will prevail.’

But a spokesman for the Premier League told the BBC that its view remained unchanged. ‘We are opposed to a winter World Cup for obvious practical reasons that would impact on all European domestic football,’ said the spokesman.