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FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke (middle) with Mohamed bin Hamad Al-Thani, Chairman of the 2022 bid committee (left) and Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani.

FIFA chief says Qatar World Cup could actually be held in 2023

General secretary Jerome Valcke has confirmed the 2022 finals won’t take place during the traditional June-July period.

THE 2022 WORLD Cup in Qatar will not be held in June-July and would best be held in the winter time, FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke has said.

The scheduling of the tournament has been hotly debated ever since it was controversially awarded to Qatar in December 2010, especially over fears that the summer heat in the Gulf emirate would be dangerous for players and fans alike.

“The dates for the World Cup (in Qatar) will not be June-July,” Valcke, the second most powerful man in international footbal’s governing body, told Radio France.

“To be honest, I think it will be held between November 15 and January 15 at the latest.

If you play between November 15 and the end of December that’s the time when the weather conditions are best, when you can play in temperatures equivalent to a warm spring season in Europe, averaging 25 degrees.

“That would be perfect for playing football.”

- © AFP, 2014

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    Mute Keith Moore
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    Jan 8th 2014, 11:49 AM

    Morons. Should never had got it in the first place. How is the champions league, Europa league, fa cup, league cup and various European leagues going to fit around that. I’d be checking blatters bank account fir large lodgements

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    Mute Emmet Purcell
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    Jan 8th 2014, 12:47 PM

    Blatter didn’t vote for Qatar. Check Platini’s account.

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    Mute Big Pat
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    Jan 8th 2014, 2:11 PM

    Actually it wouldnt effect Champions League at all now that I think of it!

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    Mute Tinker Taylor
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    Jan 8th 2014, 3:16 PM

    Yep, money cant buy you love but it can buy a heck of a lot of FIFA officials. The problem isnt for the players, they will be playing in a beautifuly air conditioned 22degrees C. Its the fans that are moving from the grounds to the hotels in 50 degree heat that will be dropping like flies.

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    Mute Stephen Barry
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    Jan 8th 2014, 3:55 PM

    FIFA confirm 2022 World Cup will be in winter 2023,thus allowing Qatar an extra few months to meet their target of 4000 workers killed.

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    Mute Charles J. Ahern
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    Jan 8th 2014, 4:28 PM

    It certainly won’t affect the League of Ireland anyway

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    Mute Irishoversea
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    Jan 8th 2014, 11:54 AM

    Lucky the Irish league is in the summer tho gives us a great advantage ;)

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    Mute Irishoversea
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    Jan 8th 2014, 11:46 AM

    We should really enjoy this summers world cup because the next two in Russia and Qatar are going to be a shambles..

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    Mute Chris Mansfield
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    Jan 8th 2014, 11:58 AM

    I have some faith that the Russian one might be OK.

    There is a football tradition and there are large cities that can host the matches. Many of these cities already have decent stadiums.

    If we leave aside the concerns about Russia as a country, the main obstacle to hosting the World Cup is the huge distances.

    It’s probably the most historically strong soccer country to have never hosted the World Cup previously. The only other contenders are The Netherland and Portugal, which are probably too small for the modern tournament.

    If 2018 had been awarded to Russia and 2022 to somewhere sensible, a lot of the stink surrounding the selection process wouldn’t be there.

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    Mute Irishoversea
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    Jan 8th 2014, 12:04 PM

    A country with such racism problems as Russia should never be allowed host a world cup or any major tournament.. I can see players refusing to play in the country and can you blame them?

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    Mute Begrudgy
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    Jan 8th 2014, 12:05 PM

    The world cup or euro championship must go to Engerland at least once ever 10 years or so or else the decision is corrupt.

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    Mute GOLDEN ARMS
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    Jan 8th 2014, 12:07 PM

    And Poland/Ukraines racism problems? How did they fit in with the Euros?

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    Mute Irishoversea
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    Jan 8th 2014, 12:14 PM

    If I remember it went fine, I think the only trouble for the Euros in that summer came from the Russia fans rioting?

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    Mute Irishoversea
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    Jan 8th 2014, 12:28 PM

    Also the Russian FA got a €50,000 fine because of there fans racism chanting..

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    Mute david garland
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    Jan 8th 2014, 3:04 PM

    The Brazilian one could also be a shambles. Stadiums are well behind on construction, no infrastructure in place and a lot of random violence going on in Brazil at the moment.. If the stadiums get built some of them are in cities where there are no pro football teams, they will end up with “ghost football stadiums”

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    Mute ronan murray
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    Jan 8th 2014, 11:46 AM

    Its a joke

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    Mute Marguerite Hoiby
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    Jan 8th 2014, 12:27 PM

    This I believe was always the ultimate plan, surely expecting football to be played in 45 – 50C heat was never an option? too dangerous.
    But, as the bribes were too much to say no to, the option was to give the tournament to Qatar and then change it to a cooler season.
    Remember, when this clown was making the announcement as to which country had been awarded the tournament, the Qatari officials were jumping out of their seats before the name was announced. Stinks to high heaven the whole sorry, corrupt organisation.

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    Mute Nigel O Keeffe
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    Jan 8th 2014, 12:25 PM

    Complete farce from day one..have they given any thought to the fans ? If you,re lucky enough to afford to travel..do you take your annual leave in Dec/ Jan..not to mention families and xmas/new year!
    The longer it goes on the more stupid it looks..FIFA..money talks loudest.

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    Mute Matt
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    Jan 8th 2014, 12:18 PM

    Looks like brown envelopes don’t just happen in Ireland.

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    Mute Mark Stewart
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    Jan 8th 2014, 11:46 AM

    According to the fifa vice president Jim Boyce this is a personal opinion of Valcke and has not been endorsed by the fifa committee yet. It’s inevitable it will be moved to the winter though.

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    Mute ThomasFrancisMeagher
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    Jan 8th 2014, 12:17 PM

    The world cup should be taken out of Qatar. It’s a nation where bigotry against foreigners, women, gays, Jews & ethnic minorities is enshrined in legislation.

    Granting them the world cup was a triumph of corruption & is a disgrace.

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    Mute David unsworth
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    Jan 8th 2014, 12:30 PM

    Corrupt shower of dirt. Lets have the world cup in a rubbish country thats basically a desert.

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    Mute Paul Furey
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    Jan 8th 2014, 1:10 PM

    Blatter now saying that this French gombeen is wrong. FIFA, UEFA, FAI (and the SFAI) all the same bunch of blazered clowns.

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    Mute joan donnellan
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    Jan 8th 2014, 1:27 PM

    @ Thomas .. 100% correct..with you on that!

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    Mute Brian Ó Dálaigh
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    Jan 8th 2014, 4:13 PM

    It would be interesting if Israel qualify, considering no Israelis (Arab or Jew alike) are allowed enter the country.

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    Mute chalk8down
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    Jan 8th 2014, 12:56 PM

    Great post Marguirite. Having spoken to a lot of people about Qatar on a recent visit to Dubai, there is perhaps no worse country on earth to host a World Cup. No football tradition, horrific human rights record, inhospitable climate… Need I go on?

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    Mute Silent Majority
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    Jan 8th 2014, 12:12 PM

    I don’t see the WC going ahead in Qatar. They’ll wait until someone other than FIFA demands that it be played in the traditional summer months (UEFA or the big Euro leagues would be my guess) and then there’ll be a late bid to move the location. Will have to be held somewhere that already has the infrastructure in place as they won’t have much time to prepare – most likely venue for me will be the USA. Blatter always wanted 2022 in the US apparently, so perhaps he will get his wish in the end.

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    Mute Noel Madden
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    Jan 8th 2014, 7:59 PM

    I would love it to be in the US (selfish reasons of course) but I think England, Italy or Germany could host it with only a little infrastructure needed to be put in place.

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    Mute Kevin Higgins
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    Jan 8th 2014, 12:46 PM

    Favela evictions began today ahead of the World Cup in Brazil. Boycott this cup and stand with the people of Brazil

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    Mute Emmet Purcell
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    Jan 8th 2014, 12:52 PM

    Nah, I’d rather watch the World Cup this summer.

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    Mute Kevin Higgins
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    Jan 8th 2014, 1:06 PM

    If you would rather not care about inequality in Brazil then that’s your decision. I hope sensible people care about what’s going on and see past simple explanations as to what’s actually going on.

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    Mute Kevin Higgins
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    Jan 8th 2014, 2:04 PM

    Then that goes against what this brazilian reported which my friend was kind enough to translate for me – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3DkSuRogF4#t=68

    I have a moral obligation to boycott an elitist event that only benefits few while the many suffer. I hope you do the same.

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    Mute Dee4
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    Jan 8th 2014, 11:54 AM

    lol, did bertie or someone in FF or the HSE make it too high office in FIFA?

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    Mute Just Chief Now
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    Jan 8th 2014, 12:00 PM

    lol. Not! How do you think that’s even remotely funny. Please explain, win me over and I’ll apologise

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    Mute Dee4
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    Jan 8th 2014, 12:04 PM

    the whole things sounds like a mess of HSE proportions, who many national leagues will be messed up, what if clubs dont want to release players. will European clubs want compensation for having empty stadiums for a month at their peak time. Also TV contracts have already been signed.

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    Mute Andy McNally
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    Jan 8th 2014, 1:15 PM

    Why not just award the tournament to the country that provides the largest bribe to the selection committee? Oh…

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    Mute Noel Madden
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    Jan 8th 2014, 8:02 PM

    A silent auction…..Let’s do it!!!!

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    Mute Mick Collins
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    Jan 8th 2014, 12:23 PM

    A Christmas world cup…..wooohoooo.

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    Mute Gerry Gilroy
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    Jan 8th 2014, 1:30 PM

    Take it back from them. Colombia was to host the 1986 World Cup but Mexico stepped in 16 years after hosting it. Give it to England.

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    Mute K
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    Jan 8th 2014, 2:34 PM

    I always look forward to the world cup but as far as I am concerned the 2022 world cup is a write-off …. same as the 2020 euros which is due to be held in 12 or 13 different place around Europe … they should quit messing around with stuff – have it in a decent place, during summer, in a place that is hospitable for tourists. I half-consider the 2018 world cup to be a write off also, for the latter reason. Would love to see Sweden or Germany get the Euros in 2024.

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    Mute funkytown
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    Jan 8th 2014, 1:37 PM

    enjoy the world cup while it last’s. the big club’s in europe are going put a stop to it. too much lost time and money.

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    Mute Hairy lemon
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    Jan 8th 2014, 3:14 PM

    I don’t agree funky. Too much prestige for the players… the pinnacle of their careers and a great way to show off their talents. Huge money in it too… money talks. The world cup will still be going strong in 100 years…. and i am prepared to pay you €20 then if I am wrong :-)

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    Mute Stephen
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    Jan 8th 2014, 9:17 PM

    Just move the the competition to another country

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    Mute Dave O'Hanlon
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    Jan 9th 2014, 12:29 AM

    Its eight years plenty of time to change location, I think European national sides should boycott it. Over the last few years the standard of the European Championships has been better than the world cup anyway.

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    Mute Lynn Ridgeway
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    Jan 8th 2014, 10:56 PM

    Just can’t see how it can work..
    The first comment had it spot on.

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    Mute Martyn Hughes
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    Jan 8th 2014, 12:49 PM

    Great news

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    Mute Bambang
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    Mar 22nd 2014, 3:04 PM
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