(Sports Focus) Compensation damand for possible winter World Cup puts FIFA into delimma

Qatar 2022 could be the most expensive World Cup in the FIFA history, not for the host, but for the world soccer governing body itself.

After FIFA Task Force recommended playing the 2022 World Cup in winter (November - December 2022) instead of in summer (June/July 2022) to avoid temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius in Qatar, which could affect the health of players and fans, the problems seem enormous.

European football clubs fear they would have to "pay the bill" and put up with the consequences.

"The European clubs won't pay the bill," said Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, CEO of Bayern Munich and the chairman of the European Clubs Association (ECA), in a statement on Tuesday.

The ECA has made it clear, if the World Cup is to be played in November/December 2022, the clubs expect FIFA compensation.

"Planning the leagues seasons all around the world will have to take the new World Cup schedule into account and everyone needs to say yes to compromises. We expect compensation for any damages incurred," said Rummenigge.

FIFA's main problem are powerful European clubs. About 75 percent of the 2014 World Cup players came from the European clubs, which will be forced to restructure their season amidst fears they will lose millions of euros. It sounds strange but that could in the end be FIFA's smallest and least expensive problem. The final decision about the exact date of 2022 will be made by FIFA on March 19/20, 2015.

Taking away the right to host the World Cup from Qatar could mean the country would ask for hefty compensation which could amount to several billion euros, all to be paid by FIFA. FIFA President Joseph Sepp Blatter, with a view to the upcoming elections, could lose an influential ally.

To play in January/February, as UEFA President Michel Platini suggested, would lead to a collision with the 2022 Olympic Winter Games to be held in either Almaty/Kazakhstan or Beijing/China from Feb. 4-20 and a massive protests from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the TV rights holders.

To start the most important football tournament at the end of May, as recommended by Rummenigge, would collide with already high temperatures and the Ramadan in Qatar.

Only at first glance does it sound unreasonable that "rich" clubs should get compensation money. Not only that three quarters of the players at the World Cup finals are on the books of European clubs but the leagues will have to take up to an eight-week break in the 2022/2023 season.

Relegation issues would be affected right down to the lower amateur leagues as the season would have to be extended.

And from the 2017/2018 season, the German Bundesliga is thinking about playing matches on the second day of Christmas (December 26) as they do in the English Premier League. The match would have to be played at a later date but the Christmas game is supposed to a fundamental part of the league's TV deals.

The Champions League would have to restructure its season as well because three match days would collide with the 2022 Winter World Cup. And the 2023/2024 season would be affected.

On top of everything November and December are key times of the year in many European countries for winter sports while American football is big in the United States. Winter sport athletes and their associations would lose valuable prime time on TV screens to make way for football.

While Rummenigge expressed the demands of the European clubs quite diplomatically, Richard Scudmore's reaction came in a far more dramatic tone.

"Wrong decision," said the 55-year-old chief executive of the English Premier League. "We are disappointed; I think I speak for all European clubs by saying that. We deliver the majority of the players for the World Cup finals. Yes, you can say, we feel betrayed by the European Federation."

Despite that FIFA is trying to shorten the World Cup by a few days, most German clubs oppose new FIFA plans.

Dietmar Beiersdorfer, General Manager of the German Bundesliga club Hamburger SV, said:"A decision like that is unacceptable for professional football clubs."

Max Eberl, manager of Borussia Moenchengladbach, said: "It will affect three seasons of the Bundesliga. The clubs would have to go through over three seasons without the full revenue generated from the takings at the gates."

However, Christian Heidel, manager of FSV Mainz 05, is much more optimistic: "With seven years to go, we should be able to get things fixed."

Meanwhile, winter sport associations blame FIFA for being "unfair". They mention their contracts with sponsors that contain a certain amount of TV presence they won't get when football is on.

A fundamental question seems to be: Is it an exclusively European feeling that a football World Cup has to be played in summer time?

"It is a strange thought to see the World Cup final right before Christmas," said Wolfgang Niersbach, President of the German Football Association. Politicians express doubts that "football and hot wine punch" (the so-called Gluehwein which is served in winter time) don't fit together.

Fans complain that public viewing in winter does not work. Shop owners try to find an answer to the question: Will the Germans buy their Christmas trees in 2022 last minute, after the matches of the German team and not many days in advance as usual?

Other European nations seem to have doubts too, as they see world sport in general affected.

Frederic Thiriez, President of the French league LFP, said: "What do you think will be going on in Spain, Italy, France, Britain and Germany around Christmas time when all the leagues have to stop for that long time and more or less restart their seasons after the World Cup again? TV stations will be highly upset and ask someone to pay their damage."

Having to compensate the clubs will hardly mean FIFA will fall on hard times. The 2014 World Cup in Brazil earned FIFA a profit of over 1.6 billion Euros. But in the case of the exact date for the 2022 World Cup, there are many who expect the FIFA Task Force's recommendation will not mark the end of the struggle. Endi