Thursday, 12th September, 2013
Shifting the World Cup in 2022 to a winter timing could throw off league scheduling for the next four years according to FIFA executive member Sunil Gulati
Gulati, who is also the president of the United States Soccer Federation, revealed FIFA were soon planning on discussing the issue of shifting Qatar's World Cup away from the summer.
An ExCo meeting in early October to decide on the issue has been vociferously opposed by various parties, including the European Professional Football Leagues (EPFL).
A winter shift will almost certainly throw most leagues off balance, and Gulati believes there is "certainly a chance" of the switch happening.
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"Qatar are not the ones who've asked for the change", Gulati told Bloomberg TV. "FIFA's looked at it; there will be a discussion in October and a decision next year.
"It affects a lot of things – television, commercial issues players, spectators and schedules. There's some widespread effects.
"It doesn't just affect the schedules for one year. It probably affects them for four years because you've then got to shift the Confederations Cup.
"And it's not just in the top leagues because you've got promotion and relegation, for example, in the English game.
"There will be a discussion about it. There's certainly a chance that the timing gets moved out of what will be very difficult circumstances."
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