Friday, 4th October, 2013
FIFA president Sepp Blatter has promised a full consultation process regarding the timing of the 2022 World Cup, but stressed that no change in the host nation would be forthcoming.
Qatar's winning bid in 2010 for the FIFA showpiece event has been clouded in controversy, with searing summer temperatures considered unfit for the competition.
A proposal to change the timing of the World Cup to winter has had mixed responses, with opponents predicting "chaos" for domestic leagues and huge potential financial losses.
Many have called for a change in venue itself, given that countries such as Australia and the United States had also put forward strong bids.
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For now, Blatter is only keen to see the matter of timing discussed, announcing after a FIFA executive committee meeting: "Qatar will host the 2022 World Cup. We do not know if it will be in the summer or winter.
"We cannot make a decision without consultation. I don't know the outcome or the decision, which will come probably at the end of 2014. We have plenty of time.
"It is not a binding statement that the tournament should take place in June or July.
"Because there has been a great deal of noise we have decided now there should be a consultation where we will bring together all the organisations dealing with the organisation of the World Cup.
"We will talk to the leagues, players and clubs but there are other stakeholders and these are economic stakeholders and we should take into account the obligations we have to them.
"If the tournament is held in the winter, we have to see what are the consequences in terms of the liabilities that FIFA has to its sponsors.
"Therefore there has to be a deep consultation and a large one with great attention and diplomacy."
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