By Andrew Warshaw
September 12 – The most powerful footballing voice in the United States, controversially beaten by Qatar to stage the 2022 World Cup, has spoken out about the growing momentum to switch the tournament to winter.
Sunil Gulati, president of the U.S. Soccer Federation, says FIFA should have held more discussions about Qatar’s fearsome summer temperatures before the tiny Gulf state was awarded hosting rights in December 2010.
FIFA’s executive committee members are expected to back Sepp Blatter’s call for a one-off winter World Cup when they meet early next month in Zurich.
But Gulati, whose country was one of four losing bidders for 2022, questioned why FIFA was taking such a stance so long after the actual ballot – and called for answers.
“What led to their decision when those facts were known three years ago?” Gulati told the Bloomberg Sports Business Summit in New York. “There’s a number of people that should answer that question.”
“We knew the temperature back then,” continued Gulati, who recently became a FIFA executive committee member and will doubtless make his feelings known at the October 3 and 4 summit. “Qatar has a plan to cool open-air stadiums. I’m not sure what you do about training sites.”
Europe’s leagues and clubs, which are normally in full flow during November and December – the time when 2022 will most likely take place pending agreement – have both urged FIFA not to rush into anything too hasty until a full assessment has been carried out.
Legal challenges from the losing candidates against any decision to move 2022 appear unlikely but Gulati agrees a winter tournament would cause huge disruption.
“It affects a lot of things: television, commercial issues, players, spectators,” he said. “It doesn’t affect the schedule for one year, it affects the schedule probably for four years.”
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