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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015 SPORTS November/December the best WCup option, even for Europe LONDON: The FIFA Task Force set up to recommend Had they recommended a January and February top clubs in Europe, although the concept of a winter unhappy with the disruption to their usual schedule, the best time of year to stage the 2022 World Cup in tournament, the World Cup would clash with, among break is not entirely alien to them. the World Cup is, by its very nature, a global event, and Qatar were always in an impossible position, from the other things, the globally-televised Winter Olympics, Germany’s Bundesliga always has a break in not only a European one. moment they sat down to consider the options. But the NFL Superbowl and the Australian Open tennis January as do many other leagues in colder eastern Naturally, given the soap opera that modern foot- yesterday’s recommendation to stage it over championships. Had they gone for an April/May Europe, and if, for the first time since the World Cup ball has become, European clubs will not readily agree November and December is probably the best option option, the dates would clash with Islam’s observance started in 1930, clubs in England and elsewhere have to this and the fall-out is likely to rumble on for years. for all-even though Europe’s major clubs disagree. of Ramadan and the climax of the European domestic to accommodate the change, they have seven years to The next stage in the long-running saga will come The European giants will have seven years to get and continental seasons. The months of June and July prepare for it. when FIFA’s executive committee meets in Zurich on used to the idea that they must re-schedule five or six were ruled out because of the summer temperatures Of course, the qualifying competition, which tradi- March 19 and 20 to endorse the Task Force proposals. matches in the winter of 2022, for the first time in in the Gulf when the mercury regularly rises to 40 tionally ends six months before the finals, would prob- That will settle the issue once and for all. Harold almost 100 years of World Cup soccer. degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), impractical ably have to be tweaked, finishing with the playoffs in Mayne-Nicholls, the former head of the technical com- For once, they may have to put football’s wider for players and fans alike, even in Qatar’s promised, April or May 2022 rather than the usual November fin- mittee which analysed all the countries bidding to interests ahead of their own, as Sheikh Salman bin eco-friendly and solar-powered air-conditioned stadi- ish the year before the finals. stage the 2022 finals, gave Qatar the lowest marks Ebrahim AlKhalifa, the head of the Task Force, ums. The Task Force is also considering staging the because of the summer heat but told Reuters in a implied. “Some people have concerns, but whatever Confederations Cup in June or July 2021 outside Qatar recent interview that following further analysis he too decision you’re going to take will have some questions COMFORTABLE TEMPERATURES while the FIFA Club World Cup could be held in Qatar now favoured a November/December tournament. about it,” he said on the sidelines of a meeting which A winter World Cup later in the year would disrupt in November and December 2021 as the World Cup One compromise the Task Force has recommended settled on the proposals. around 50 major leagues around the world for a few test event. “The proposed event dates have the full is that the tournament should be curtailed for a few “But we need to look at the overall benefit for weeks, as well as holding up the Champions and support of all six Confederations”-including UEFA, days to try to minimise disruption further. everybody.” There had been effectively four options Europa Leagues. But the temperatures would be a whose president Michel Platini has continually backed So there will not be a Christmas World Cup. But at facing the Task Force which was holding its third and more comfortable, 23-30 Celsius in the Middle East, a winter World Cup,” FIFA said in a statement after the least the winning country will have something of a final meeting in Doha yesterday. and the only people seriously affected would be the meeting. Although the major clubs in Europe will be unique gift to enjoy that month. — Reuters LONDON: Monaco’s players attend a training session at the Emirates Stadium in London ahead of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg football match against Arsenal. — AFP CL Preview Monaco’s Berbatov seeks goals on London return LONDON: Dimitar Berbatov will be hoping for in a 3-3 draw in November 2012 and, though the real business of the Champions League SUPER TOUGH confidence level will be high” he told the club’s a goalscoring return against his former arch- he turned 34 in January, the Bulgarian heads today. Monaco’s Belgian winger Yannick Arsenal’s French manager Arsene Wenger, website (www.arsenal.com). enemies Arsenal when AS Monaco come to back to London as Monaco’s top scorer this Carrasco is having treatment on a bruised who coached Monaco between 1987 and Like Monaco, Arsenal are also on a good the red half of north London for their season. Monaco head to Arsenal buoyed by right thigh while their France defender Layvin 1994, has warned his players not to underesti- run of form with eight wins in their last nine Champions League Round of 16 first leg their 1-0 derby win at Nice on Friday which Kurzawa is also being treated for bruised mate the visitors as his current team, in the games despite injuries to Aaron Ramsey, Alex match today. sees them fourth in Ligue 1 with just one quadriceps. Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim last 16 for the 15th consecutive year, attempt Oxlade-Chamberlain, Mikel Arteta and The Bulgarian is still remembered with defeat in their last 17 matches in all competi- told Britain’s Sunday Sun newspaper: to end a run of four successive exits at this Mathieu Debuchy. affection for the 46 goals he scored for tions. They also won 1-0 at the Emirates last “Everyone considered us a gift, a lucky draw, stage. “The last 16 in recent years has been They also have history on their side, having Arsenal’s local rivals Tottenham Hotspur in a August when Radamel Falcao, now on loan at so the luck fell to Arsenal. super tough,” Wenger said. “This is a 50-50 lost just twice to French teams in 20 competi- two-year spell at White Hart Lane before a 30 Manchester United, scored the only goal in the “It’s normal that everyone thinks Arsenal game. We know that Monaco are very tight tive matches. Monaco have played English million pounds ($46.05 million) move to pre-season Emirates Cup tournament against will qualify. I too think Arsenal are favourites defensively-they didn’t concede in the group sides 10 times, winning five and losing two, Manchester United in September 2008. the hosts. But there will be very little similarity but in football sometimes money and the stage against good teams. “They came back but this is their first competitive game against He scored twice for Fulham at the Emirates between that warm-up summer run-out and favourites don’t win.” into a good position in the league and their Arsenal. — Reuters CL Preview Atletico duo aim to keep goals flowing LEVERKUSEN: Atletico Madrid arrive at Bayer Leverkusen for today’s Champions League last 16, first leg, clash hoping for a sixth straight clean-sheet in Europe, with Mario Mandzukic and Antoine Griezmann hunting more goals. Between them the pair have already bagged 37 goals this season as the 2014 Champions League finalists look to leave Leverkusen’s BayArena with an advantage in the hunt for a quarter-final place. Former Bayern Munich striker Mandzukic has already shown Pep Guardiola what he is missing in Bavaria by scoring 20 goals, while Griezmann has hit the net 17 times for Atletico this season. French midfielder Griezmann says Diego Simeone’s Madrid need a good start in Leverkusen, just as they had in Saturday’s 3-0 home league win over Almeria to stay third in the table. “We need to keep working and enjoy- ing the games like we are at the moment,” said the Frenchman after netting in the 20th and 29th ITALY: Napoli’s Italian forward Manolo Gabbiadini kicks the ball during the Italian Serie A minute following Mandzukic’s 13th-minute football match against Sassuolo. — AFP penalty. “We need to face all the games the same way, trying to win and coming out flying from the start.” The only casualty for Madrid is mid- Napoli blank Sassuolo fielder Koke, who will miss the first leg with a hamstring injury having, scored two goals and MILAN: Duvan Zapata scored a goal of sheer brute nents sprawled on the pitch. provided four assists in the group stages. force and determination to set Napoli on the way to Zapata, who only started because Gonzalo Olympiacos were the last team to score a 2-0 win over Sassuolo which moved them another Higuain was suspended, then provided the pass for against Atletico when they enjoyed a 3-2 group step closer to second-placed AS Roma in Serie A on Hamsik to score the second with a curling shot.