Football legend Beckenbauer calls for winter World Cup in Qatar

BERLIN - Franz Beckenbauer believes the 2022 World Cup in Qatar should be played in the wintertime to avoid the high summer temperatures in the Middle East.

“It might make more sense to think about another solution. In January and February, temperatures there are a comfortable 25 degrees,” Beckenbauer told Saturday’s Bild Zeitung newspaper.

Beckenbauer, who is a member of the FIFA executive committee that Thursday surprisingly awarded Qatar the 2022 tournament, said he does not believe it would cause too much disruption to the major European leagues.

“The schedules for the big European leagues are due to be changed in 2012 and that would mean the impact would be less,” he said.

“It would also be a viable alternative to the enormous expenses involved in setting up air-conditioning for the stadiums and the fanzones.”