Platini's wants winter World Cup

Michel Platini: In favour of a winter World Cup when it is held in Qatar in 2022

UEFA president Michel Platini has revealed he plans to stage the 2022 World Cup during the European winter for the first time.

Since Qatar were granted the 2022 World Cup it has been debated when the tournament would take place to try and avoid the intense heat of the summer months in the Middle East.

The move would require all major European Leagues to take a month-long winter break, including England's Premier League which has no mid-season break at all.

Platini believes the winter would be the best time to stage the tournament and that bringing a break into the European leagues would not be a problem.

"I hope it will be held in winter," Platini told the London Evening Standard. "We have to go to Qatar when it is good for everybody to participate. What is better for the fans?"

Platini believes there is enough time to work out how to organise the domestic leagues around a winter World Cup.

"In 10 years we can manage to decide how we can postpone the season for one month," added Platini.

"In 10 years we can manage to decide how we can postpone the season for one month."
Michel Platini

"January is difficult for the World Cup because you have the Winter Olympic Games. If we stop from Nov. 2 to Dec. 20, it means, instead of finishing in May, we stop in June. It is not a big problem. It is for the good of the World Cup, the most important competition in the world."

Platini also defended his decision to vote for Qatar for the 2022 World Cup in preference to England and was also in favour of Russia being awarded the 2018 tournament.

"I voted for Qatar because it was time to go to a country in that part of the world," continued Platini. "They bid five times."

He also denied voting for Qatar after being told to do so by former France president Nicolas Sarkozy.

"I tell you one thing immediately," insisted Platini. "One day I was invited to dinner by Sarkozy where there was the Prime Minister of Qatar. Mr Sarkozy never asked me during the dinner to vote for Qatar. They invited me to the dinner but they know I will be independent, that I will vote for who I want."