The head of the Qatar 2022 World Cup has rejected calls for the
tournament to be awarded to another country.Governing body Fifa is expected to move the tournament to winter to
avoid Qatar’s high summer temperatures.
And Football Association chairman Greg Dyke said the tournament might
have to move location if a suitable time to play in Qatar could not be
agreed.
But Hassan al-Thawadi insists there is “no reason” why Qatar should
not host the event as planned in 2022.
“We’ve worked very, very hard to ensure we’re within the rules of the
bidding, within the rules of the hosting agreement,” he told BBC
Sport.
“At the same time we’re delivering on all the promises that we’ve
made. We’re working very hard to deliver it. The commitment is there.”
Fifa president Sepp Blatter is determined to switch the 2022 World Cup
to the winter as summer temperatures can reach 50C in the Middle
Eastern country.
Blatter, 77, has admitted the governing body may have made a “mistake”
in awarding the tournament to Qatar in the summer.
“[Qatar] is the right place, the Middle East is the right place,” said
Al-Thawadi, who is Secretary General of the Qatar 2022 Organising
Committee.
“We are representing the Middle East, it is a Middle Eastern World
Cup, so it is the right place. The Middle East deserves to host a
major tournament.”
FA chairman Dyke told the BBC in August that a summer World Cup in
Qatar, who defeated rival bids from South Korea, Japan, Australia and
the United States in December 2010, would be “impossible”.
The Premier League has taken an opposing stance, with chief executive
Richard Scudamore insisting the tournament should go ahead in the
summer.
However, Europe’s leading clubs have said they are “open” to the
possibility of a winter World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, chairman of the European Club Association (ECA)
believes it is “probably” better to switch the finals to winter.
The ECA is an independent body representing the interests of Europe’s
leading clubs. Ten English clubs are members – Arsenal, Aston Villa,
Chelsea, Everton, Fulham, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester
United, Newcastle and Tottenham. – BBC Sport
