FIFA chief proposes radical changes to Premier League season for more winter World Cups

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FIFA president Gianni Infantino has claimed that talks are underway which could see the Premier League played in June as he pitched the idea of club football moving its slot in the calendar - but denied it was motivated by World Cups in the Middle East.

For the first time ever in 2022 the World Cup was played in December, motivated by the extreme temperatures in Qatar that made a traditional summer tournament impossible. It forced the entire club schedule to be paused, seeing a reshuffle of the regular dates.

The 2034 World Cup has been awarded to Saudi Arabia, but the hot summer temperatures that feature daily highs of 39 degrees and lows of 25 degrees. If the same principle is followed then major leagues will have to accommodate another winter World Cup.

But Infantino, speaking at the European Football Clubs annual assembly in Rome, claimed June is the prime month for football and should be optimised by European leagues. He also maintained his motive was "not just about one World Cup".

He said: “We are already into the nitty-gritty, we are discussing all the time. It’s not just about one World Cup - it’s a general reflection - even to play in some European countries in July is very, very hot, so maybe we have to think.

“Actually, the best month to play football, which is June, is not used very much in Europe. Maybe there are ways we can optimise the calendar, but we are discussing it and we will see when we come to some conclusions.

"We just have to have an open mind. It is a fact that in the world , if you want to play at the same time everywhere, you can play in March or in October, most likely. Because in December you cannot play in one part of the world and in July you cannot play in another part of the world.

“We need to consider all these elements when we speak about national team competitions, national team release, about club competitions, and see how we can make it better for the benefit of everyone. So there is a lot at stake.”

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Infantino is also confident there will not be visa problems for countries at next year’s World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada - but the United States climate was heavily criticised in the summer when it held the Club World Cup.

Enzo Maresca, who led Chelsea to the trophy, suggested that having it across the Atlantic was potentially the wrong decision after his players had to be taken off the pitch with matches delayed due to the weather.

"I think it's a joke, to be honest," he said. "It's not football. It's completely something new; I struggle to understand. I can understand if it's security reasons but if you suspend seven or eight games then it's probably not the right place to do the competition. It's not normal to suspend the game. In a World Cup, how many games are suspended? Zero probably. In Europe how many games get suspended? Zero."

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