SPFL chiefs frosty over Qatar World Cup in winter

Officials met in Doha to discuss alternative options after concerns were raised about the health and safety of players and fans attending the tournament.

Summer temperatures in the Middle East can exceed 40 degrees, whereas the average towards the end of the calendar year is a much cooler 25 degrees.

However, Europe’s major leagues are against holding the event later on because it would conflict with their own traditional schedules.

Yesterday’s taskforce recommendation is expected to be sanctioned by FIFA’s executive committee at a meeting in Zurich next month.

The possibility of hosting the 2022 World Cup over January/February or April were discounted due to clashes with the Winter Olympics and the Islamic observance of Ramadan.

The European Professional Football Leagues want the finals held in May after consultation with various national leagues and governing bodies.

They cited a study which shows reasonable climatic conditions for players and supporters could be provided.

The SFA are understood to be open to change. Scotland haven’t reached the finals of a major tournament since France’s World Cup ’98.

But the SPFL are conscious of the impact qualification for Qatar 2022 could have on the Premiership and harbour much greater reservations.

They are likely to offer a more detailed response after FIFA’s meeting in March but for now, in line with its link to the EPFL, it has backed that organisation’s stance.

An spokesman said: “The SPFL will await the final decision on scheduling for the 2022 World Cup before we consider the implications for fixturing.

“Clearly, in seven years’ time, we all hope Scotland’s participation is part of the equation.

“We are fully engaged in these discussions, through our membership of the EPFL and (SPFL chief executive) Neil Doncaster’s position as a board member of the EPFL.

“The EPFL has recently issued a statement on the issue and we support and agree with this statement in its entirety.”

Britain’s FIFA vice-president Jim Boyce said moving the World Cup to winter was a “common sense” decision but will oppose any move to hold the final on December 23.

He said: “It’s too close to Christmas – that’s the only reservation I would have and I would like it a week earlier, but I want to wait until the FIFA executive committee meeting to hear all the details about the dates.

“I welcome the fact all the stakeholders have been involved and, although this is not going to please everyone, common sense has prevailed.

“It will cause a lot of disruption but it is eight years away and people should have enough time to make it work.”

There are suggestions that December 23 is a tactic to allow FIFA to offer a compromise of December 18, which falls on a Sunday, the traditional day that World Cup finals are held.