Here’s a novel idea: Instead of trying to air-condition the outdoors, how about moving the 2022 World Cup in Qatar from summer to winter?
That’s what has been suggested by former Netherlands midfielder Ronald de Boer, who helped advise Qatar during its winning World Cup bid.
De Boer’s appeal, made at the Leaders in Football conference in London, isn’t the first of its kind. UEFA president Michel Platini has requested that the tournament not be staged in June and July heat. He wants to reschedule the European soccer calendar and stage the tournament in November and December.
“I think it’s great what Platini did to come forward out and say what he thought,” De Boer said. “And now everyone’s talking about it. So it’s the first step.”
Moving the tournament would keep European-based players from being fatigued. More importantly, it would also be easier for FIFA than facing a decade of scrutiny over the inscrutable practices that led to Qatar winning the bid in the first place. But that’s going to happen anyway.
– Craig Stouffer
