Europe's top football clubs said that the 2022 Winter Olympics "may have to be rescheduled" in order to accommodate the World Cup in Qatar, according to Dan Roan of the BBC. It is expected that "the World Cup will be moved from summer to winter in 2022 to avoid high temperatures in Qatar." European Club Association Vice-Chair Umberto Gandini said, "[The Games] haven't been awarded yet. I don't see why we should worry about something that is not there yet and if they can also change the dates." FIFA President Sepp Blatter suggested that "a switch to November and December 2022 is almost inevitable." However, that "would shut down the European leagues for eight weeks, and the ECA remains unconvinced by that option." Another possibility is to stage the tournament in January and February, although Blatter has assured the IOC that "the World Cup will not clash with the 2022 Winter Games, scheduled for February." Blatter "is an IOC member and it is thought that any disruption to the 2022 Games could jeopardise football's status as an Olympic sport." Among the other events that could be affected "is the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations." The taskforce set up by FIFA to decide on the best date for the 2022 World Cup "features a variety of stakeholders including clubs, leagues and player representatives, and will meet again in November before a final decision next year" (BBC, 10/7).
