Platini Calls For Winter World Cup In 2022

Michel Platini, the president of Uefa, has once again called for the 2022 World Cup to be rescheduled for the winter.

Platini, who made the comments in an interview with the London Evening Standard, insisted that the fans should be at the forefront of considerations. He also criticised the fan experience at the 2010 World Cup, saying that the South African weather meant fans were confined to their hotels during the tournament.

‘I hope it will be held in winter,’ he said of the 2022 edition. ‘We have to go to Qatar when it is good for everybody to participate. What is better for the fans?

‘Did you see in South Africa: it was freezing and nobody could go anywhere to a fan club or anything. You had to stay in the hotel.’

Platini added that he had voted for Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup after its Emir promised him that the tournament would be staged in winter should its bid be successful.