Chile's Harold Mayne-Nicholls has claimed that it would be impossible to move the Qatar 2022 event to the winter, as FIFA President Sepp Blatter has claimed could happen, because it would mean a clash with European football leagues, as well as the Winter Olympics and Super Bowl in the United States

Blatter has suggested a switch to November and December 2022 is almost inevitable, although another possibility is to stage the tournament in January and February.

"You could move it towards May, until the middle of June", said Mayne-Nicholls, who had warned in his report four years ago of the dangers of staging the tournament in Qatar in the summer. 

"The weather would still be very warm at night, but the sun is not there and that could help.

"I know it's not easy.

"We'd sleep during the day and work during the night.

"It's only an idea.

"You'd have to investigate a little bit more.

"I have never played in Qatar in May.

"Let's organise a youth tournament, invite countries from all the Confederations, and let's use this time to see if it works.

"Then we can investigate and have conclusions, but we cannot keep talking about Qatar from Zurich, we have to check it.

"And if this is not a solution then we have to find another one."

Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa (left), President of the Asian Football Confederation, is heading up the taskforce to decide on the best date for the 2022 World Cup ©Getty Images










Mayne-Nicholls, former President of the Chilean Football Association who used to sit on the FIFA Executive Committee, said games could be played at 7pm, 10pm and even as late as 1am.

"You'd change everything," he added.

"It would be a couple of hours behind in Europe, and that would help TV."

Qatar was controversially awarded the 2022 World Cup by FIFA's Executive Committee in 2010.

Mayne-Nicholls had expressed serious concerns about conditions in the Gulf state following an assessment visit to Doha.

In the executive summary, he wrote: "The fact that the competition is planned in June-July, the two hottest months of the year in this region, has to be considered as a potential health risk for players, officials, the FIFA family and spectators, and requires precautions to be taken."

A taskforce set up by FIFA to decide on the best date for the 2022 World Cup features a variety of stakeholders including clubs, leagues and player representatives, and is due to meet again next month before a final decision next year.

Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa, President of the Asian Football Confederation, is heading up the taskforce alongside FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke.

When contacted by insidethegames, a FIFA spokesperson said: "The FIFA Executive Committee set up a task force to assess options for the international match calendar 2018-2024 and they met for the first time on September 8 at the home of FIFA in Zurich.

"The task force will meet again in November.

"Please note that the process is still at an early stage, with further consultations to follow.

"Please also understand that we cannot anticipate the potential outcomes nor comment further while these discussions are ongoing.

"We will communicate any updates in due course."

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