No World Cup Compensation – Fifa

Fifa says it will not pay compensation to clubs and leagues unhappy about plans to play the 2022 Qatar World Cup in November and December.
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It also said no apology was necessary for the
scheduling of the tournament, which will disrupt a
number of leagues.
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A Fifa taskforce has recommended the 2022 World
Cup take place in winter to avoid Qatar’s hot summer
temperatures.
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“There will be no compensation,” said Fifa secretary
general Jerome Valcke. “There are seven years to
reorganise.”
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Fifa’s executive committee will meet in Zurich next
month to ratify the taskforce’s recommendation.
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Valcke also suggested that a 2022 World Cup final on
23 December was looking increasingly likely.
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Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore
says a final that close to Christmas will cause havoc
with the traditional festive club programme, while
Fifa vice-president Jim Boyce wants it played a week
earlier.
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But Valcke says European governing body Uefa and other confederations are keen on Friday, 23 December, although 18 December is also a possibility.
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Valcke also confirmed the 2022 World Cup will be
four days shorter as a “concession” to leagues and
clubs – 28 days instead of the usual 31 or 32 – and
that the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations will move to June
from January.
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‘It’s not perfect, we know that’
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Speaking at a news conference in Doha on
Wednesday, Valcke admitted the situation was “not
perfect” but added: “Why are we talking about
compensation? It’s happening once, we’re not
destroying football.
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“Why should we apologise to the clubs? We have had
an agreement with the clubs that they are part of the
beneficiaries. It was $40m (£26m) in 2010 and $70m
(£45m) in 2014. We are bringing all our people to
enjoy the sporting and financial results of the World
Cup.”
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‘Clearly there will be fixture challenges’.
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Scottish Football Association chief executive Stewart
Regan has added his voice to those lamenting the
impact a winter World Cup will have on leagues and
clubs around the world.
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“We will look at the knock-on effects of the decision
and how it will affect Scottish football,” he said.
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“Clearly there will be fixture challenges for leagues
across the world.
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“We have been expecting this decision for some time, but it is going to run late into December and just how close to Christmas it gets is something that needs to be thought through.”