FIFA kicks off talks on 2022 World Cup dates

A FIFA taskforce met Tuesday in Doha to discuss moving the 2022 World Cup in

 Qatar to winter due to scorching summer temperatures in the Gulf state.

A shift to November-December is seen as likely but faces resistance from European 

clubs who fear major disruption to high-profile championships such as La Liga,

 Bundesliga and the Premier League.Officials from football's global governing body,

 top leagues and players' representatives are attending the crucial meeting.

About 40 delegates were bussed into the Qatar National Convention Centre,

 in central  Doha, as the talks began just after 0700 GMT.

The group went straight into the meeting without talking to waiting journalists.

FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke was the last to arrive and there was a small

 moment of light relief when the automatic doors would not open for him, but he 

eventually got into the building.Traditionally the World Cup is played in June and

 July and if the competition is shifted to November and December, it is likely the 

European clubs will seek hefty compensation.

They are likely to be unsuccessful as European football's governing body,

UEFA, has already accepted a switch to winter.

The move to November and December is seen as necessary because of the extreme

 weather condition in Qatar during the summer, when temperatures soar above 40

 degrees Celsius. The task force will make a recommendation to FIFA whose executive

 committee will reach a decision on March 19-20 in Zurich.The task force also has to

 take into consideration other sports.

It must seek to avoid holding a tournament that will not clash with the International

 Olympic Committee as the 2022 Winter Olympics will be held in January or February.

Qatar has said it is happy to host the World Cup on whichever date FIFA chooses and 

that it is developing air-cooling technology to accommodate players and fans during

 the fierce Qatari summer.

Sepp Blatter Insists Qatar Will Keep World Cup

Sepp Blatter reiterated his backing for the 2022 World Cup tournament

 after a British newspaper published fresh allegations about the bidding

 process

 

A handout computer generated image made available by Qatar World Cup's Supreme

 Committee for Delivery and Legacy, responsible for organising the tournament,

 showsthe Khalifa International Stadium in Doha after its renovation ahead of the

2022 World Cup.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter said Qatar was in no danger of being

stripped of the 2022 World Cup as new questions arose Sunday

over the awarding of hostingrights.The world football chief reiterated

his backing for the tournament after a British newspaper published

fresh allegations about the bidding process.

"Ladies and gentlemen, believe me, if we see what has been said,

 what's told around the world, it's by those who are not involved exactly

(in) what happensin football," Blatter told delegates at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) 

awards in Manila."The World Cup 2022 will be played in Qatar,

 he said to applause  and a few whistles of support from the 400

delegates at the gala dinner in thePhilippine capital.Blatter was

speaking after the Sunday Times said Britain's bidding

team for the 2018 World Cup, awarded to Russia, had a secret

database containingresh allegations about the 2018 and 2022 hosting

 races.The database includes unproven claims of vote-buying and

 trading linked to both Qatar and Russia's successful bids, according

to the newspaper.The report comes after deep controversy over FIFA's

 in-house probe into the bidding process, when investigator Michael

 Garcia said the world body

 had misrepresented his findings.

On Sunday FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke insisted there was

 "no need" to publish the investigation in full, despite widespread

calls to make it public.

"Legally speaking there is no need and no reason to publish,

 Valcke said in brief  comments ,.Blatter, who is seeking re-election

to a fifth term next year, has also 

faced calls to step down over FIFA's handling of the report on Qatar.

The 78-year-old Swiss enjoys strong support from the AFC,

including its leader  Shaikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, who

 is also expected to seal re-election  next year."He came in with his  

executive committee to bring Asian football to the  right place,

" Blatter said of Shaikh Salman. "It's (Asia) a great part of football, 

it's a great part of the world," he added.