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England boss Fabio Capello calls for Qatar winter World Cup to risk backlash from Premier League giants
By Sportsmail Reporter
Last updated at 9:51 AM on 29th December 2010
Fabio Capello has risked angering Europe's top clubs by backing calls for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to be held during the winter.
Such a move would bring huge disruption to the Barclays Premier League and other competitions, but the England boss has joined the voices fearing it would be too hot in June and July.
Temperatures in Qatar reached 50 degrees Celsius last summer and Capello fears the stifling conditions would confine players and fans to hotels - regardless of plans to build air-conditioned stadiums.
Difference of opinion: Capello (right) tells an audience in Dubai that Qatar's World Cup should be in the winter - an idea not supported by Barcelona president Rosell (left)
'It will not be easy for the players to stay all day in the hotel, you can't run around the hotel,' said Capello at an event in Dubai.
'It's a big problem - not only for the training - you have to spend the time, all the day in the hotel. You can't go around to relax, to do something different.
'When you stay together for long time you need to relax to do something different, not only training or playing. That's why I think it would be a good idea to play in January or February.'
Capello will no longer be England boss by the time the tournament comes around and is likely to be merely a spectator at the age of 75, while his successor deals with the fallout of either a logistical winter nightmare or a summer roasting.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter has said he would not object to a January-February World Cup and UEFA president Michel Platini is also sympathetic to the idea.
While some European leagues currently have a winter break, the four weeks scheduled for a World Cup would be preceded by at least a fortnight of preparations by competing nations.
Barcelona president Sandro Rosell is resisting a winter World Cup, insisting: 'I have to stand up for the Spanish league.
'The World Cup has to be in June, July. I don't like to break the Spanish league because it's one of the leagues in Europe that continues in January.'
Asian Federation president Mohammed Bin Hamman, a Qatari, insists a summer World Cup would not be a problem for his country, but left the door open for change.
'I believe our country has submitted a bid where they would like to organise and host the World Cup in June/July and they have actually presented also the solution for the heat challenges,' he said.
'So our country actually is ready and willing to host a very comfortable World Cup in the summer season.
'(But) the month of January is a sort of dead season, most of the leagues in Europe are suspended, they are not playing during that time.
'It's not going to affect practically, the leagues or the clubs if they played the World Cup in January.'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...apello-calls-Qatar-winter-World-Cup-2022.html
Lol at the bolded bit. Wtf is Hamman on about? I'm pretty sure that the big European leagues do run in January.