FIFA rules out 2022 compensation

            FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke has ruled out any compensation being paid to the leagues if the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar is switched to the winter. Valcke also brushed off calls from clubs and leagues to postpone next month's decision on a switch to allow for further talks. There have been suggestions that Europe's big leagues, including the Premier League, would demand FIFA pay compensation for the disruption that will be caused to three domestic club seasons, but Valcke dismissed any such idea. As long as we don't have a decision in principle how can you ask the administration of FIFA to work on what are the consequences of moving the World Cup. We would then ask the different people to work with the different stakeholders on the international calendar and to see the consequences of moving the World Cup from here to another period on the dates for the leagues, the clubs and international match days etc.
                      Valcke said he was confident of achieving an agreement with all parts of the game, and promised that a winiter FIFA World Cup would not take place over the Christmas week. He also stressed that there was no intention of taking the tournament away from Qatar. FIFA president Sepp Blatter has called for the tournament to be moved because of the fearsome summer heat, and admitted it may have been a mistake to have initially voted for Qatar to host the tournament in the summer. FIFA would like to make an early decision. The World Cup in Qatar is not a mistake. But we are requesting a solution which in the end does not affect our business too much. The body embracing Europe's top leagues, including the Premier League, which is fiercely opposed to a winter World Cup, has also demanded that FIFA refrain from imposing any artificial deadlines. The European Professional Football Leagues said: "The EPFL is of the view that no hasty decision shall be made by the FIFA executive committee of october 3-4 considering such an important decision cannot be rushed with artificial deadlines as the concerned FIFA World Cup will take place in nine Years."