FIFA
executive board member Theo Zwanziger believes that Qatar will be stripped of
its right to host the 2022 World Cup finals, with a spokesperson for world
football's governing body moving to insist that this is simply the German's
"personal opinion."
Zwanziger
cited the health risks for players and fans in the extreme heat of the Gulf
state as the main reason behind his belief that the tournament in eight years'
time will ultimately be staged elsewhere.
"Personally,
I believe that the 2022 World Cup will not take place in Qatar in the
end," he told Sport Bild. "The doctors say -- and I have demanded to
have this registered in the records -- that they can't be held responsible for
a summer World Cup held in those conditions," he said.
Zwanziger
believes the controversial decision to stage the tournament in Qatar will be
revoked.
While the
tournament organisers insist that stadiums, training facilities and fan zones
will be kept cool using air conditioning technology which is still in
development, concerns remain over supporters from across the globe travelling
around the small Middle Eastern nation would still suffer in the desert
conditions for the rest of the time.
"The
World Cup not only takes place in the stadiums," Zwanziger said.
"Fans from all over the world will be out in the heat. The first
life-threatening incident would immediately lead to public prosecution. And no
one in the FIFA executive would want to answer for that."
In
reaction to Zwanziger's claims, a FIFA spokesperson was quoted as saying by
Suddeutsche Zeitung: "As highlighted by Mr. Zwanziger, this is his
personal opinion."
However, a
winter World Cup is not completely off the table yet, despite tough opposition
from the major European clubs, who fear the changes to their respective
domestic calendars.
Former
German FA (DFB) president Zwanziger, 69, has been a member of the FIFA
executive since 2011, when he took compatriot Franz Beckenbauer's seat. He last
made the headlines when he clashed with the current DFB president Wolfgang
Niersbach, criticising him for his "hypocritical salary."
The DFB
urged him to resign as a FIFA executive board member, but Zwanziger refused to
do so, adding: "The final word is not spoken yet."
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