Rummenigge warns FIFA

Chairman of the European Club Association (ECA) Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has warned the world's governing body FIFA that the ECA's 200-or-so members shouldn't need to foot the bill, if the 2022 World Cup in Qatar is moved.

Since FIFA awarded Qatar the hosting rights, there has been no shortage of controversy from human rights, construction concerns and corruption claims. The German member of FIFA's Executive Committee Theo Zwanziger has recently said that he doesn't think Qatar will even host the tournament.

But the calendar is a concern. FIFA have effectively ruled out the prospect of the 2022 World Cup being held in the summer - but the alternative in Winter has fueled discontent among Europe's top clubs.

"The first thing we must recognize is that FIFA's decision was based on holding the World Cup in the summer of 2022," Rummenigge, the chairman of Bayern Munich, said.

"If there is now a strong wish for the stakeholders, FIFA, UEFA, FIFPro, and so on, to want to change, we are ready to discuss under one condition - that there is no damage for club football, because if we change from summer to November or January then it will affect our business, our calendar."

"And we are not ready to pay such a bill. That cost cannot be paid for by the clubs. We are not ready to pay it and it has to be made clear to FIFA that they need the goodwill of the clubs or we are not ready to talk or discuss it."

Rummenigge's fellow representative of the ECA, Umberto Gandini of AC Milan, even suggested that the 2022 Winter Olympics could be moved to accommodate the World Cup.

"Not to be controversial, but the World Cup is one of the major events in the sports landscape with the Summer Olympics," he said. "But the Winter Olympics, with all due respect, are not up there."

A FIFA task force for considering rescheduling of the tournament has been established comprising of Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Shaikh Salman of Bahrain and FIFA secretary-general Jerome Valcke.

rd/rc (AFP, AP, RTRE)