RobHarris

Rob Harris · @RobHarris

2nd Oct 2013 from TwitLonger

Some extra detail not in the Qatar World Cup piece for space reasons >>>>>>>>

LEGAL ISSUSES
The possibility remains that Qatar could be stripped of its hosting rights if FIFA's ethics investigator, U.S. attorney Michael Garcia, finds evidence of wrongdoing. Garcia begins a tour next week of the nine nations involved in bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
As for moving the World Cup dates if the tournament remains in Qatar, there are potential legal ramifications. U.S. broadcaster Fox paid $1.2 billion with Spanish language broadcaster Telemundo and a radio network for the rights to the 2018 and 2022 tournaments on the understanding that they would be held in the summer as has been the case since the 1930s.
FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke was explicit days after the original vote that the World Cup had to be staged in its June-July slot, dismissing calls for a move to winter. "The invitation to tender was to play this World Cup in June, and that's how it was done and countries replied on this basis," Valcke said in Dec. 2010.
FIFA now maintains that, although "initially expected to be in June/July," the tournament "remains subject to the final decision of the FIFA Organizing Committee."
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CLUBS' CONCERNS
Gandini, the European Clubs' Association official, says clubs would suffer cash flow problems without any football for about two months when games would usually be played.
During the World Cup, clubs could go on tours of Asia or the United States, which the curtailed summer break might have prevented them from doing. By Dec. 6 _ almost three weeks before the Premier League could potentially resume in 2022 _ 75 percent of players would have left the World Cup. They wouldn't require much of a break as the World Cup games were being played when club fixtures would usually have taken place, and tour matches would help them stay match fit while generating income. Liverpool earned around $8 million alone from its 2013 summer tour of Australia and the Far East.
For lower-league clubs who won't send many players to the World Cup, they could continue as usual during the tournament and potentially gain more domestic exposure if matches are scheduled shrewdly. "That could definitely work," Gandini said.
Mayne-Nicholls said it is not unusual for exemptions to be made to accommodate occasional one-off events. Manchester United pulled out of the 2000 FA Cup to play in what is now called the Club World Cup in an attempt to help England's ultimately unsuccessful 2006 World Cup bid.
"They found a solution and they went (to Brazil)," Mayne-Nicholls said.
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2023 AFRICAN CUP OF NATIONS
By playing the World Cup in November-December 2022, the African Cup of Nations would have to vacate its January 2023 slot. The competition could potentially be staged across June and July 2023, making it suitable for a cooler southern African nation to host during their winter.
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LINGERING ISSUES
Gandini feels that January-February is the "least impractical" solution for European leagues which take a winter break or those that play from March to November. He believes a clash with the Winter Olympics can be avoided because the IOC hasn't chosen the host city or dates yet.
"We in Europe have the best club competitions in the world and we have to protect that," he said. "The solution must be one that Europe will support."
Moving the dates of the World Cup doesn't resolve all the concerns about Qatar. As well as questions about its well-funded bid campaign, there are renewed concerns about worker rights in the country. The International Trade Union Confederation called last week for changes in Qatari labor laws saying the health of migrant workers would be in danger in the extreme heat while building facilities for the tournament.

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