Is Qatar having the 2022 World Cup prised out of its hands?

Unless someone can explain how European leagues (which have TV rights sold across the world, in particular the PL - unlike say African leagues) could have the domestic fixtures slotted around a winter world cup, I can't see how it would happen

 

Broadly speaking, you bring forward the Community Shield match to Sunday 1st August (I've just checked the calendar). The following weekend would fortunately be a nice early start for the FL anyway, but you add the PL to that so they gain a game or 2 early on. You bring forward the FA Cup so that 3rd Round games take place when the 2nd Round should. The 4th Round of the FA Cup you delay until 5th Round day, there's a gap between the 6th Round (1/4 Finals) and Semi-Finals so you can return to schedule by shortening it to maintain the May Final. The League Cup Semi-Finals can be played in the last two midweeks of February with a week between the legs, but the Final will have to be pushed back a bit more. Don't forget the Final at least is played on a weekend with full league schedules so when that happens is irrelevent.

That leaves you just trying to sort out League games. L1 and L2 can play as normal as far as the weekend before the tournament, and start the weekend after, so all they need is to get some extra dates for that. They could start the JPT in July and play 2 consecutive weekends before the season starts (FA Cup replays happen within a week of the next round, so as long as the draw was made scheduling minor games shouldn't be a problem), that frees up 2 match days. I've also seen a few times the Championship has been played midweek and they haven't had games so they can use those as well.

For the PL you're obviously starting a week earlier, and for them and the Championship you can cancel all the international breaks in the first half of the season. Qualification is usually completed in October for a summer tournament to be drawn so for a winter one it would presumably be finished the summer before by sacrificing friendlies for competitive games. That should mean all those dates are available for league games which could allow up to 3 games per break depending on whether it's a midweek only or a weekend break we had. Finish the leagues for the break with the Boxing Day games and the international squads gather after that (with time for a couple of pre-tournament friendlies compensating for the loss of earlier ones). You go through January and the start of February and have no games so you're behind again, but you cancel all the international breaks in the second half of the season. There's no qualifiers, and there's no need for friendlies to plan for the tournament as it's gone. That frees up a few dates, extend the season by a week, although in the case of the Championship the Playoff Final weekend is already going to be a week later than this year so it naturally does it for you.

All in that should probably give an international break from Boxing Day (Monday, with games on Saturday and Tuesday before the tournament the next weekend). Play the tournament out by 8th February and then back to playing in the League the next week.

At the end of the season the club games have been the same, and it's effectively been a case of moving the international breaks to January so the players are no more tired than they would be normally. You then let the international sides have the time when the summer tournament would take place as a time to play friendlies if they want to. The following season starts as normal, with qualifiers for the next Euros starting in September.

 

If I'm ever sentenced to death by firing squad my last request is that Ricardo tells me how to fit in a winter world cup tournament so that I'll be asleep when they shoot me.

 

I got 2 lines in then I thought "ah a cure for insomnia"

 

Well you asked for it mostyn no, it's not the person who now regrets asking that's complaining, the pair of you can just **** off.

 

Give it to Japan and have it done with

 

Thank you - can see a number of the usual suspects whinging (Pulis, Fergie etc) about overplaying their little darlings. But even with that schedule spread across Europe it is going to be a right horlicks (think can use that word on here) and am considering an each way on Qatar

 

No chance. They have already had it and far more recently than England.

The UK is a good back up for 2022 but I also agree that Australia would be a good and better call for 2022.

 

It's going to be a very expensive World cup this is terms of lives lost.

 

This WC is going to be such a massive ****ing disaster.

Though the world might be destroyed before it happens. There's a positive.

 

Any particular method of destruction you thinking of?

 

Nuclear war.

Though I'm hoping for a more Ziggy Stardust-esque demise.

 

I'd opt for huge space rock.

 

Lost all confidence in FIFA.

Same goes for Meyler..



Allam's OUT

 

Meyler's lost confidence in FIFA too?

 

Why should we?

 

What about his stats on FIFA 17 ?

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our own FAs bribes were ****e , i think it was a bunch of slightly expensive ladies handbags . Now if those bags were stuffed with crisp 50's then maybe

 

Where's he gone?