Winter World Cup just ‘nonsense’ — McCarthy

FIFA president Sepp Blatter’s proposal to play the 2022 World Cup in Qatar during January has provoked a mixed reaction from Premier League managers.

Qatar has temperatures reaching 50 degrees centigrade in June/July but changing the date of the World Cup would have major implications for domestic competitions in Britain and the rest of Europe.

Wolves boss Mick McCarthy said: “I think it’s stupid and I think the more airtime he (Blatter) gets, he makes it worse for himself.

“Taking the World Cup around the globe is one thing, but taking it to a place that’s 50 degrees in the summer, or whatever it is, is nonsense.

“Then saying ‘we’ll all shut our leagues and play in the winter’ is even more nonsense. I await the next instalment next week and I can boot that into touch as well.”

Blackpool’s Ian Holloway was also bitterly opposed, saying: “It’s gone crazy – I think the world has gone completely on its head.”

The move to hold the 2022 tournament in January was first suggested by Germany’s FIFA member Franz Beckenbauer and is gathering momentum with Blatter and FIFA’s general secretary Jerome Valcke both now behind the idea.

Chelsea’s Carlo Ancelotti said players would prefer to play in cooler conditions. “It’s impossible to play 50 degrees. I had that experience in the USA in 1994 and it’s impossible to play at 12 o’clock and 40 degrees on the pitch,” he said.

Blatter, meanwhile, yesterday apologised for saying gay football fans should “refrain from sexual activities” if they planned to go to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Gay groups have called for the head of the world soccer governing body to either apologise or resign after his comments this week.

Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar.

“I will not enter into such a discussion (regarding his resignation) but I will just say here if I hurt a group of people in the world by making those comments then I regret it,” Blatter said.