World Cup 2018

[Ed209]

In principle it don't see why it shouldn't be workable, the big clubs and leagues are going to shit a brick over it though

[Greeny_Musicchild]

Well done Neil... wrong year though

I've got to say, I never expected this idea to have any merit to it. Surely all the big leagues will go ape shit a having to close down for a few months right in the middle?

If its rearranged a team like Utd or Chelsea is going to have to contend with all it's players being wrecked half way througha season instead of after it, and the smaller teams would have mostly the advantage/disadvantage of a break. It just seems like they might as well have taken it somewhere else....anywhere else.

Edited January 7, 2011 by Greeny_Musicchild

[fraser_k]

I'm surprised Platini has supported this as it will directly effect his marquee tournament (Champions league) pushing the final to possibly late June. It will be the Premier League that will be greatly affected by this as most European Leagues have a two week winter break so they can just be scrapped so they would only have to find about 4 weeks as opposed to the English who will have a massive 6 weeks scrapped minimum (2 weeks team prep + 4 week world cup).

From a totally selfish point of view I don't think its fair on Europe as let's be honest most of the money in world football comes from Europe. This time of year problem for the Qatar world cup should have been sorted before they even bid for the world.

[ampersand]

I'm surprised Platini has supported this as it will directly effect his marquee tournament (Champions league) pushing the final to possibly late June. It will be the Premier League that will be greatly affected by this as most European Leagues have a two week winter break so they can just be scrapped so they would only have to find about 4 weeks as opposed to the English who will have a massive 6 weeks scrapped minimum (2 weeks team prep + 4 week world cup).

From a totally selfish point of view I don't think its fair on Europe as let's be honest most of the money in world football comes from Europe. This time of year problem for the Qatar world cup should have been sorted before they even bid for the world.

[fraser_k]

well they've 11 years to impliment something to work the same way as the rest of europe. if they are unable or unwilling to, then that's their problem.

[ampersand]

Well with Englands really busy, top heavy league structure the league will have to start July and finish the next June. Hard to think the Premier League copied there financial structure off the NFL whose season lasts about 4 months.

[Snufflebutt]

Off the top of my head I'd guess that Qatar is about 4 or 5 hours ahead of the UK - so, with games played late in their day to lesse3n the heat, I'd guess the times that we see the matches won't be too inconvenient.

[Ed209]

If this is going to happen more and more its possible this might actually lead to a winter break being a permanent fixture for the premier league, so that when there is a winter world cup they have a bit of natural flexibility and it doesn't f**k things up as much.

[j...rox]

January is where we hit fever pitch in terms of the premiership and start looking at the various outcomes to the season befor it usually gets wrapped up in March/April, this season also looking like a similar case at the top of the Premiership unfortunately.

I'm not sure I would be too happy about a January World Cup as that would leave 4 and a half years until the following World Cup, however it would make the Prem a little more interesting, and definitely provide good opportunities for teams like Blackpool with little foreign representatives, no bad thing in all honesty.

[jump]

How would this effect the transfer market? A lot teams scout at the World Cup but I can't see teams wanting new players mid-season nor having the full kitty ready.

[ampersand]

I'm not sure I would be too happy about a January World Cup as that would leave 4 and a half years until the following World Cup, however it would make the Prem a little more interesting, and definitely provide good opportunities for teams like Blackpool with little foreign representatives, no bad thing in all honesty.

[fraser_k]

What happens if the European Leagues turn round and say we don't want to move our leagues because of things like revenue etc, what does FIFA do because when Qatar bidded for the World Cup they presented a summer World Cup bid as did every other country bidding? Something doesn't sit right that before the news even settled they were already talking about a winter World Cup and about hosting games outside of Qatar, seems a bit strange.

[Uncle Liam]

January is where we hit fever pitch in terms of the premiership and start looking at the various outcomes to the season befor it usually gets wrapped up in March/April, this season also looking like a similar case at the top of the Premiership unfortunately.

I'm not sure I would be too happy about a January World Cup as that would leave 4 and a half years until the following World Cup, however it would make the Prem a little more interesting, and definitely provide good opportunities for teams like Blackpool with little foreign representatives, no bad thing in all honesty.

[ampersand]

also, this is still assuming that english football is what it is now in 11 years. it may have imploded up it's own arse and be like scottish football!

[Kowalski]

Uefa president Michel Platini has called for the 2022 World Cup to be played across the whole of the Gulf.

Qatar won the right to host the 2022 tournament but the decision has not been without controversy with Fifa boss Sepp Blatter keen to hold it in winter.

Neither proposal was suggested during the bidding process and Qatar have always maintained the tournament will only be held in the tiny Arab country.

"I hope it will be a World Cup of the Gulf," said Platini on Wednesday.

Qatar will be the first Arab and Muslim majority nation to host the tournament. It will also be the smallest and the hottest.

The heat in summer can hit 43 degrees, which has led Fifa to suggest the idea of going against tradition and holding a winter World Cup.

As well as concerns over the weather in Qatar, there are also worries about how the tiny country will cope with the thousands of spectators that will travel to the 2022 tournament.

Qatar occupies a small peninsula that juts out into the southwest of the Gulf, bordering Saudi Arabia. It covers an area of 11,437 square kilometres (4,575 square miles).

And this has now led to Platini to suggest spreading the hosting of the tournament to neighbouring Arab countries.

However, the Qatar organising committee themselves see the size of their country as an advantage with fans not having to travel vast distances to see matches, with the possibility to also see more than one game in a day.

"It could be the World Cup of Qatar but played in the Gulf," said the Frenchman, who is on the Fifa executive committee.

"I think we need political people [for this to happen], but I think so."

Asked why such drastic changes could be considered when they were never mentioned during the bidding campaign, Platini added: "Who will remember the words in 12 years? In 12 years everybody will be happy to have a very well-organised World Cup and not remember what's happened before.

"When I organised the World Cup in France we did [things] differently from what we proposed in the bid."

[sifi]

I bet Israel get the group of death for qualification for the WC 2022. I'd f**king love it if they qualified.

[Gre]

1) I doubt Blackpool will be in the Premiership in ten years

2) If they are, where's Gre when you need him?

[jump]

The World Cup is not going to happen in Winter now, apparently both Qatar & FIFA are against the idea.

[The Nal]

The World Cup is not going to happen in Winter now, apparently both Qatar & FIFA are against the idea.