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Fifa chief Jerome Valcke today refused to apologise for the likelihood that the 2022 World Cup will be switched from summer to winter and ruled out compensating English clubs for lost revenue.
Searing summer temperatures have convinced a FIFA task force to recommend that the final be on December 23 and that the tournament is 28 days long, four days shorter than normal.
FIFA’s executive committee will make the final decision on dates next month but speaking in Doha today, FIFA general secretary Valcke (right) insisted: “I think we should just accept it... why should we apologise for the decision made yesterday.”
The Premier League’s festive programme will have to be scrapped but Valcke added: “It’s not perfect, we know that — but why are we talking about compensation?
“It’s happening once we’re not destroying football. There’ll be no compensation. There are seven years to reorganise things.”
