Managing a break with tradition for Qatar World Cup is no easy task
Last-minute equalisers in Manchester and Milan, Bayern Munich going down in Dortmund, Real Madrid thumping Atletico, and new leaders in the Premier and the Bundesliga.
The two-week international break seemed like an eternity for many fans. Just imagine if it was two months.
The World Cup in Qatar is still six years away, but the fact it took over four years to fix the date shows how much agonising there was, and the eventual decision to go for a November-December tournament will obviously cause a big disruption of the major European leagues.
The Premier League has consistently opposed the idea, last year saying “a winter World Cup is neither workable or desirable for European domestic soccer”. Germany has also been critical, if less hostile. League managing director Andreas Rettig called it “an organisational, as well as a financial burden” when the decision was announced.
“Difficult and challenging,” was the verdict of Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, speaking on behalf of the European Clubs’ Association (ECA) rather than Bayern, though, in general, clubs are prepared to go along with it, their objections soothed by Fifa’s usual device of waving a large wad of cash in their direction.
In reality, the impact will vary from country to country. England will be among those most affected because, unlike Germany, there has never been a winter break.
By contrast, countries such as Serbia have positively welcomed a winter World Cup, as it more or less fits in with their domestic calendar.
In Sweden the league runs from April to mid-November, so hardly any adjustment is needed, but there are still some justified concerns.
Normally, top players are required to achieve peak level during one period of the year: The end of the season, when league and cup competitions are decided. World Cups and European Championships follow on. The Qatar World Cup schedule will require two high-intensity peaks within six months.
As the ECA said in its submission to Fifa: “All clubs, as well as players not called up for the World Cup in winter, will have to bridge a period without competitive games of at least seven weeks before continuing the rest of the season.”
The usual order of the season will be reversed and from early on, given that countries will be looking for their players to join pre-tournament training camps before the end of October. Over the following two months, some players who are called up won’t play, and others may play a couple of games. What will they and their clubs do during the period before the league season restarts?
The World Cup itself will be slightly compressed — no bad thing, many would argue — but leagues will restart with some players who have been kicking their heels for the best part of two months, and a few who have just peaked.
For club managers this will be a new experience. Will they opt for a second pre-season? This is essentially what happens during the winter break in Germany, with training camps abroad.
In general the so-called Winter Champions, the league leaders at the end of the first half the season, go on to win the title – but the break is an opportunity for a tactical rethink, which sometimes leads to big swings in form.
A break after a dozen or so games will definitely give the season a different shape. The bigger clubs will probably be at a disadvantage with a winter World Cup, with more players away for longer and, presumably, a compressed Champions League and Europa League calendar. There will also be a greater chance of key players picking up injuries, which could lead to a lively transfer window in January 2023. Whatever happens with the elite, it would be nice to think that football might see Qatar as an opportunity rather than a headache.
Top-flight football will be suspended, but there is no logical reason why all domestic football should follow suit. With a positive approach, and some good marketing, this could be an occasion for the lower leagues and smaller clubs to put themselves in the shop window.
