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FIFA taskforce recommends November/December dates for Qatar 2022 World Cup
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The timing of the Qatar 2022 World Cup should be held in a November/December slot, a controversial recommendation by a FIFA task force had said.
Concerns were raised when Qatar was given the bid that a summer tournament would be impossible to play in as temperatures soar to 40 degrees.
Given the allegations of corruption surrounding FIFA and the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, some believe that this coupled with the weather means Qatar is an unsuitable place to hold it.
But FIFA's task force, who met to discuss all the options regarding when the tournament could be held, have announced that the period of the end of November through to December, with the 26th to the 23rd being mooted as possible dates.
With the Winter Olympics being held the following January, the task force said it would be unsuitable to hold the tournament at the same time, and the idea of a spring tournament in April/May was also quashed due to the start of Ramadan on April 2.
The recommendation is expected to be ratified by Fifa's executive committee in Zurich on 19 and 20 March.
With 75% of the players at the Brazil World Cup last summer based in European leagues, the emphasis on the disruption a winter tournament will be firmly on the Premier League and the other major leagues in the continent, as well as the Champions League.
But Sheikh Salman added: "We are very pleased that, after careful consideration of the various opinions and detailed discussions with all stakeholders, we have identified what we believe to be the best solution for the 2018-2024 international match calendar and football in general.
"It was a challenging task and I want to thank all members of the football community for their productive input and constructiveness in helping to find a solution that we believe can work for everyone."
FIFA insist all six continental associations agreed on the recommendation, but Premier League chief Richard Scudamore has already poured scorn on the idea, given that the Premier League doesn't have a winter break like many leagues on the continent.