Blatter: 2022 World Cup final in Qatar to be played by Dec. 18
FIFA president Sepp Blatter wants the final of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to be played no later than Dec. 18, ESPNFC reports.
Earlier this week, FIFA recommended the tournament be held in November and December because of the extreme heat in the country during the summer months. A potential February schedule was squashed because FIFA didn't want to conflict with the Winter Olympics, which are set to run from Feb. 4 through Feb. 20, 2022.
UEFA wants the final to be played on Friday, Dec. 23, which would lessen the disruption to club seasons. Blatter wants the final to be played on a Sunday, as every World Cup final has been played on a Sunday since 1970.
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Blatter, speaking for the first time since a FIFA task force confirmed November/December for the 2022 World Cup, said: "Not until the 23rd, definitely not. We have to stop at the 18th."
FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke has already said club teams will not be compensated when their players participate in the World Cup.
Blatter, who has been FIFA's president since 1998, is currently running for a fifth term. He is one of four candidates that will appear on the ballot during the May election.
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- Paul Palladino
