Ski boss Kasper dismisses 2022 World Cup close to Olympics

Feb 12, 2011, 9:39 GMT

Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany - World ski supremo Gian Franco Kasper on Saturday dismissed the idea of staging the 2022 football World Cup in winter, close to the Winter Olympics the same year.

'We would make the public crazy if we had the World Cup and the Olympics nonstop over two months,' the FIS president Kasper told the German Press Agency dpa at the alpine ski world championships in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

'And I don't have to point out what the television networks would say financially,' he added.

The Winter Olympics traditionally take place in February. There have been calls ever since Qatar was elected World Cup host for 2022 by the ruling body FIFA to move the event from the traditional summer slot to the winter so as to avoid the intense June and July heat in the Gulf nation.

European football supremo Michel Platini and the players' union FIFPro were among those who supported the switch and FIFA President Joseph Blatter appeared to back the idea as well during last month's Asian Cup in Qatar.

However, Blatter told the BBC on Monday that the matter was currently 'on ice' and that 'everything is settled for summer.'

'Now he has taken everything back,' said Kasper, who is also an International Olympic Committee member, about the latest twist on the hotly debated issue.

Read more about FIFA

Read more about Football

Read more about Olympics IOC