What Will Happen To Domestic Football When A Winter World Cup Is Taking Place?

[sandyRoe]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/25653594

[davetuc]

I can only see one set of winners here - the Lawyers. This is going to create such a minefield amongst clubs, leagues and Football Associations worldwide. Should be interesting........

[mushroom25]

the premier league chairmen will love it - an opportunity for their very expensive assets to get injured at a time that might prove critical to their own continued European aspirations.

[weecalf]

Well the English players should be home early .chance for some of them to get a game

[redman41]

Qatar was always going to be a poor choice, they certainly have not earned the right to stage it there on merit.
It's all about money, nothing else seems to matter

[jomifl]

We don't play football in our house, so no problem.

[ichkeria]

Might be fun actually. A Christmas World Cup. Might keep people out of the shops in the run-up to the Big Day. I can't wait.
And at least for anyone going there all the stadiums will be close to each other

I think for all the undoubted dodginess and corruption it'll be a big success

[Canary42]

They can have the mid-winter break they keep wailing about.

[ichkeria]

Yes many countries already have a break then or thereabouts anyway. Can't see the issue really. People have assumed that whole seasons will have to be adjusted but I don't see why that has to happen

[bibblebub]

The Premier League will be affected because so many players will absent. This season there are 11 rounds of fixtures in the period from 15th Nov to 15th Jan; add in a week or two before and after the tournament and the total period for which players wouldn't be available would be that for as many as 15 games in a normal season.

To make up for the loss of a couple of mid-season months the EPL could start in July and finish at the end of May with more midweek games at the start/end of season. The lower leagues would just have to put up with any loss of players. FA Cup ties could be played a month later than at present (maybe 3rd round onwards) and so the final could be at the beginning of June (or end of May). To remove possible fixture congestion, ties should be decided on the day, so no replays - not a bad idea anyway. A lot of top teams put out weakened teams for the League Cup already so that could be unaffected.

[ichkeria]

My cousins are there now playing for Ireland Women's Cricket - more or less the same time of year. Admittedly I daresay it's less energetic than football ...and fewer (human) fans

[tomjoad2013]

The over paid louts deemed unfit to play for their respective Countries will sit in front of their super large TVs drinking lots of beer and eating pizza

[ichkeria]

If people embrace the changes, which need not necessarily be that drastic, then I think it'll be fine. The Workd Cup isn't going to move from Qatar so we might as well be positive

[ToraToraTora]

from what I can see the 2022 world cup could end up in 2023! For Funks Sake with so many places that could hold a WC tomorrow why are we entertaining this bedouins kazi? In the end they'll have to move it at the last minute. What price we end up with it? Never in the field of sport has such a cockup been made, Blatter, please jump off of somthing high! Beautiful game, PMSL!

[ichkeria]

I repeat: it won't move. It probably shouldn't have been given to Qatar in the first place but I suspect that there'll be little chance of it not being ready in time.
There'll come a point where the only thing against it will be people's neativity.