Beckenbauer makes case for Qatar World Cup played in winter?
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The 2022 World Cup in Qatar could take place in January or February to avoid the 50c-plus temperatures of the summer months in the desert state, according to Fifa executive committee member Franz Beckenbauer.
Beckenbauer, who won the 1974 World Cup as West Germany captain and also coached his nation to the 1990 title, admitted that a switch to a winter World Cup would affect European Leagues but insisted "that would not be a major undertaking".
Qatar, which beat bid rivals Australia, Japan, South Korea and the United States, said it would deploy climate-control technology to keep the temperature on the pitch to 27 degrees Celsius while outside it was a scorching 50 degrees.
"One should think about a different solution," Beckenbauer told the Bild newspaper, where he also works as a columnist. "In January or February you have a comfortable 25 degrees there. Plans for the biggest leagues would have to change for 2022 but that would not be a major undertaking."
"It would be an alternative to using climate control at great expense for stadiums and fanzones," added Beckenbauer, who is stepping down from the executive committee in March.
Fifa awarded the 2018 World Cup to Russia on the same day and Beckenbauer had long opposed the double vote, for which football's governing body has been the subject of severe criticism.
"It was a mistake to do both 2018 and 2022 on the same day but now it has happened. I would be happy to leave the 2022 decision to the next generation," Beckenbauer said.