No regrets for Platini over Qatar vote

UEFA president Michel Platini maintains he has no regrets over voting for Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup.

The decision to award the event to Qatar, made in 2010, has attracted plenty of criticism and controversy for a host of reasons, including the timing of when the tournament will take place.

While Qatar’s bidding group remains confident the competition can take place in the traditional June/July slot, the stifling heat players and fans will face has led to a FIFA taskforce proposing a number of alternatives.

January/February 2022 and November/December 2022 are set to be proposed – with May also a potential option – after Platini explained on Wednesday that moving the UEFA Champions League’s latter stages could be possible to accomodate the World Cup.

Despite the criticism, which has included opposition from the European Club Association and FIFPro, Platini does not regret voting for Qatar.

“It is not regrettable for me. I don’t regret to have voted for Qatar,” he told BBC Sport.

“[I] say it is nice to go to winter but I said that before to Qatar.

“I said two things. I said it will be very nice if we can play in winter in Qatar and if it’s not only in Qatar but if we have some games in the gulf – Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait City.

“But it is not regrettable that I voted for Qatar.”

Platini also reaffirmed his belief that the competition will take place in the cooler months, adding: “It will never be in April, May or June. It will be in winter.

“[Big European clubs] like [April and May] but they are not convinced it is a good moment. They will follow the decision.”