German Brewery Bitburger Unhappy With FIFA Proposed Move Of 2022 World Cup To Winter

German brewery Bitburger "has attacked FIFA for its proposed switch of the 2022 Qatar World Cup from summer to winter," according to Henrik Jeimke-Karge of BILD. Bitburger, which has been a sponsor of the German national team since '92, "is expecting a decrease in beer consumption and less excitement." Bitburger Managing Dir Werner Wolf said that since the 2006 World Cup, Germany "has created a special party culture during World Cup and Euro years." Wolf: "It's difficult to imagine how this would be possible in the snow and during freezing temperatures. It's obvious that beer consumption is higher in the summer than in the winter. Therefore, the decision means an economic damage for us." Last year, Bitburger generated €790M in revenue as beer consumption saw a slight increase in Germany (107 liters per person). Despite this increase, Bitburger's overall sales volume decreased by 4% to 3.4 million hectoliter (BILD, 2/25).