EXCLUSIVE: La Liga president Javier Tebas has backed the idea of a winter 2022 World Cup in Qatar – provided it is held in January and not November-December as has been mooted.
There have been widespread calls for the tournament to be moved from its traditional summer spot due to the ongoing concerns over the stifling heat in the region where temperatures can reach in excess of 50°c
While Qatari organisers have promised to implement solar-powered cooling systems inside the stadiums to counter the fierce heat, there remains the issue of contending with the climate once outside, particularly for the thousands of fans expected to descend on the Gulf state.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter recently claimed it may have been a mistake to award Qatar the World Cup and supports a shift to a winter tournament, a move which already has the backing of UEFA’s 54 associate members.
The threat of legal action from losing bidders and major European leagues owing to the possible disruption to their domestic campaigns has further muddied the water with Premier League chief Richard Scudamore saying it is "practically impossible" to stage the tournament at any other time other than summer.
However, that is not a view shared by Tebas who admits that while a change is not "ideal" it may be a necessary if FIFA ultimately decide a summer tournament is not feasible.
A November-December tournament is the favoured date of FIFA so as not to clash with the Winter Olympic Games, but Tebas would prefer January as it would minimise the disruption to domestic football.
"If FIFA decide the winter World Cup should be played in winter then La Liga will follow their guidelines. If that is the case, then January would be the most suitable," Tebas told Sport360°.
"We know that [Sepp] Blatter wants the tournament to be played in November. The problem in January is the Winter Olympic Games and we know that TV stations and other major sports in America have some concerns.
"But we're convinced January is the best time as the damage is less as many leagues – the Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and Serie A – already have winter breaks in place.
"In Spain, it is normally cold in January so the damage would also be less as attendances can also be down."
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