Platini wants Qatar to share a winter World Cup

UEFA president Michel Platini has repeated his call for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to be staged in the European winter months and said the tournament could be co-hosted by several Gulf countries.

Platini, a member of the FIFA executive committee, told France L'Equipe sports daily he would be in favour of distributing the tournament among several countries, while switching to a winter World Cup would make sense in view of the heat in Qatar in summer.



World governing body FIFA has said there were "no concrete plans" at present to to switch the timing of the finals from the summer to the winter months. Qatari Mohammed Bin Hammam, president of the Asian Football Confederation, has also rejected the idea.



But European football federation boss Platini told L'Equipe: "It's imperative to have the best possible conditions for the players, the spectators and all those who intend to go to Qatar in 2022. It (a winter World Cup) is not such a stupid idea is it?



"The best way to promote this competition is not to play it in 55 Celsius degree heat.



"I'm in favour of playing it in winter and sharing out the matches among several Gulf countries. This would be good for the development of football in the region."



Qatar is currently hosting the Asian Cup, where Bin Hammam, who has been on the FIFA executive since 2002, told German Press Agency dpa he wanted the 2022 World Cup to go ahead as planned in June and July.



"I am not supporting a January World Cup. I am sticking with my country's decision and the FIFA decision that this World Cup 2022 is going to be organized in June and July," he said.