Sepp Blatter decided it had been too long for him to not say something stupid. You had been waiting nearly a week for your Blatter fix. Here comes Sepp to save the day and deliver some absolutely ridiculous news. Let’s hear it, Blatter:
“I expect it [the World Cup] will be held in the winter. We have time to look at this question, it is still 11 years away but we must decide the most adequate period for a successful World Cup which means January or the end of the year.”
Cue logistical nightmares happening for domestic football everywhere. Are you kidding, FIFA? Yes, I realize that Qatar temperatures can soar above 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer, but having the World Cup be staged in the winter wasn’t exactly a part of the bid. At all. Remember those air-conditioned stadiums Qatar laid out for the tournament? Not too much of a need now if the teams won’t even play in the supposedly brutal heat. The tournament is still 11 years away, but the affect that a winter World Cup will have on football fixtures is obscene and an absolutely daunting to think about. I think Arsene Wenger says it best:
“It looks like an idea that has come out of nowhere because nobody was told that when the bid was voted for,” he said. “That is a bit of a surprise and certainly it would mean that the whole world of football has to be reorganised.
“As you know we have a Christmas period which is quite busy here and England would be very happy to play the World Cup in January just after that. It would demand a complete reorganization of the whole world’s fixtures and I cannot see that happening.”
If this really is about the nauseating heat rampaging Qatar during the summers, what about the cold? Let’s consider this question: What (as a fan) would you rather endure for a World Cup?: heat masked by the allure of air conditioned stadiums (as outlined in the bid) or cold . Germany national team coach Joachim Low puts my feelings into words:
“At the World Cup in 2006, the European Championships in 2008 and the World Cup in 2010, there were millions on the streets … if the World Cup in 2022 takes place in winter, no fan is going to be on the street if it’s minus five degrees (23 degrees Fahrenheit),”
So players, time to get on your double-layered soccer socks. Put on your jackets and snoods. Thanks again, Blatter. My week was going too well for you not to show up. See you when I start to get pleased again.
