FIFA President Sepp Blatter said that the the World Cup final in Qatar in 2022 "should be played no later than Dec. 18," according to Mike Collett of REUTERS. Blatter said that "he would propose that idea" to the FIFA exec committee when it meets next month. UEFA said this week that "it wanted the World Cup to start on Nov. 26 and end on Dec. 23, two days before Christmas." Blatter said, "The World Cup will not go on until the 23rd, definitely not, we have to stop at the 18th. I am against going to the 23rd" (REUTERS, 2/27). Collett also wrote former ManU CEO David Gill welcomed Blatter's suggestion that the tournament "cannot be played later than Dec. 18." Gill, who looks set to be elected on to the exec of FIFA next month, "backed the Swiss." Gill: "I'm encouraged by the fact president Blatter has come out and said it can't be on the 23rd and the 18th would be the latest it can be which I think is at least a move in the right direction." Gill said that "it was time to accept the notion of the finals being held in winter rather than summer and make compromises." Gill: "It's been decided, let's get on with it" (REUTERS, 2/27).
RACISM IN FOOTBALL: The AP's Rob Harris reported Blatter "is concerned by a study" that highlighted the scale of Russian football's racism problem ahead of the 2018 World Cup, warning there "must be some sanctions" if the extremism is not eradicated. A report produced by the Fare network and the Moscow-based SOVA Center showed that "Russia is plagued by a racist and far-right extremist fan culture." Blatter said, "We are concerned, definitely." Blatter spoke last July to Russian President Vladimir Putin "about making the tackling of racism a priority, but cases have continued to blight the 2018 World Cup host nation" (AP, 3/1).
