Blatter Under Fire as FIFA Launch Qatar 2022 Consultation

(ATR) Nearly three years after controversially awarding the World Cup to the "high risk" Qatar bid, FIFA is setting up a task force to assess whether it should be staged in the summer after all.

A decision in principle to switch Qatar 2022 to winter to avoid the sizzling desert heat and protect the health of players and fans was delayed Friday to allow for a year-long consultation period with stakeholders including sponsors, leagues, associations and TV companies.

Blatter said there was no reason "to call into question this decision" in December 2010 when 14 of 22 FIFA ExCo members voted for Qatar to stage the World Cup.

"I have to take some responsibility because I did say that June/July was so hot we should be able to play it at some other time," he told a press conference following a two-day FIFA executive committee meeting.

Referring to a FIFA inspection report published prior to the FIFA vote in 2010 that highlighted the risk factors associated with the desert nation’s sweltering summers, he admitted: "I did indeed say we should have spoken about heat before."

The heat issue that derailed Qatar’s 2016 and 2020 Olympic bids, knocking Doha out of successive bid races before the candidate city stage, is now casting a shadow over 2022 tournament preparations.

But Blatter dismissed rumors that FIFA would strip the gas-rich nation of the football showpiece: "The FIFA World Cup 2022 will be played in Qatar. There you have it."

The big question is exactly when. November is the preferred month to avoid a clash with the 2022 Olympics. But UEFA president Michel Platini, who voted for Qatar in December 2010, is in favor of a January/ February tournament.

The new FIFA task force, overseen by secretary general Jerome Valcke working with Asian Football Confederation chief Sheikh Salman and a panel of stakeholders, will examine alternative dates from the traditional June/July window when temperatures in Qatar can reach 50 degrees Celsius.

Blatter said a "road map" would be presented in December.

He spoke of "very deep consultations", saying players, clubs, leagues, associations, confederations and economic partners from marketing, media and TV would be approached for feedback.

"We can’t make a decision without consulting our partners. It is impossible, it is impossible," he said.

Asked if FIFA could still decide to keep the Qatar World Cup in the summer months following the extensive consultation, he said: "I do not know what will be the outcome of the consultation, or decision that will be taken probably at the end of 2014. Let us work on that, we have plenty of time."

FIFA, which will generate$4 billion tax free from the Brazil World Cup, could be forced to cough up compensation for football’s stakeholders such as sponsors and leagues if Qatar 2022 moves to winter and costs them financially.

Blatter conceded this might happen: "This will be an outcome of the discussions and consultation that is made.

"If we are going to play in winter what are the consequences, liabilities that FIFA has to sponsors or to the leagues or other professional organizations… I cannot foresee what we will do. I am not a prophet."

"Qatar will be played in 2022. I don't know if winter or summer," he added.

The 77-year-old Swiss also came under fire over the issue of workforce exploitation linked to building World Cup projects. FIFA was aware of the issue before the World Cup was awarded. Last week, an investigation by the U.K.’s The Guardian newspaper revealed that 70 construction workers from Nepal had died in the construction of World Cup facilities since the start of 2012 alone.

A letter from Qatar 2022 to FIFA about workers’ rights was circulated to journalists at the start of the press conference. It offered reassurances that organizers and Qatar rulers would take action to prevent human rights’ abuses.

Blatter expressed "sympathy and regret" at the deaths of migrant workers on World Cup building sites.

The FIFA chief will be heading to Qatar soon to meet with the new Emir to discuss workers’ welfare, although he said football’s governing body had no power to change the grave situation.

"This intervention can only be carried out by Qatar itself and they have said they will do so," he told the press conference.

"We can’t turn a blind eye, it does worry us," he said.

Earlier Friday, ATR spoke to FIFA vice president Prince Ali Bin All Hussein about the issue.

Welcoming the announcement on the new Qatar 2022 task force, he said of the workers’ rights abuses: "We have to have standards. I am optimistic things will be done."

Asked what FIFA do to address the problem, the head of the Jordanian FA and West Asian Football Federation said he wanted "minimum standards for workers".

"To guarantee that whatever we are hearing does not happen and that things are done in the correct way," he added. "As it has ramifications for the organizers then we have a duty to do so."

Reported by Mark Bisson.

20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.