Organizing the 2022 Qatar World Cup in winter won't destroy football, FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke said, refusing to comment on whether FIFA made concessions in order to hold the tournament at that time or would pay financial compensation to European clubs who believe will be affected by the proposal if it's approved in March.
Meanwhile, Hassan Al Thawadi, secretary general of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, affirmed Qatar's commitment to all its responsibilities towards an ideal organization of the World Cup and its readiness to host the event at any time that FIFA decides.
Underlining the World Cup as a good catalyst for the change, Al Thawadi said the Qatari government has issued many pledges such as replacing the sponsorship system with a new one based on contracts in addition to other human rights-related legislations.
The two officials made the remarks at a press conference after the first meeting for the Qatar World Cup Local Organizing Committee (LOC) with FIFA representatives.
Valcke said everyone has made concessions, noting that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) will change the date of its competition for the Qatar World Cup. "It's happening once we're not destroying football." He rejected the concept of offering compensation to clubs, saying that there is an agreement since 2010 between FIFA and European clubs and seven years are enough to ready the scene for the World Cup.
The FIFA secretary general said the meeting was very productive and he was happy with the work done by the organizing committee, particularly with regard to the first master plan of the hosting country, pointing out that FIFA will provide assistance to Qatar to reach suitable solutions for its conditions and provide ideal circumstances for teams and players.
He expected the tournament to be a wonderful event thanks to Qatar's capacities on the ground that it provided for hosting the showpiece, noting that Qatar's standards for hosting the World Cup are level with those set by FIFA.
 Valcke said World Cup 2022 will be a special tournament because it will be held in the Middle East for the first time, adding that staging it in Qatar is a plus because the organization will be easier and will save the effort of transferring participant teams between cities, which will give them more rest and concentration.
The FIFA secretary general said the football governing body learns from lessons of past tournaments and uses the World Cup to change the reality of several countries, noting that the facilities of World Cup 2022 will not only be stadia but also infrastructure that will benefit the community.
He revealed that FIFA is contemplating reducing the tournament's period from 32 to 28 days and the impact of that change on organization, but said the issue will not be determined until the FIFA executive committee makes a decision next month on the date of the World Cup, noting that the FIFA task-force has recommended holding the tournament from the end of November to the end of December but hasn't chosen certain dates as some reports claimed.
Valcke expressed his pleasure at visiting the construction site of Al Wakrah Stadium as well as the workers' housing, saying that progress has been made in the standards of workers rights in all World Cup-related projects.
He said FIFA will not apologize to clubs for the decision to play the tournament in the winter or give them financial compensation. "We are bringing all our people to enjoy the sporting and financial results of the World Cup. I definitely don't feel I have to apologize for the decision made yesterday to confirm that the World Cup will not be played in the summer.'' Valcke said holding the Confederations Cup in Qatar in June 2022 will be extremely difficult due to international agenda restrictions, pointing to a recommendation that suggests staging the event in another Asian country, with Qatar being a key part of the selection process.
Source: QNA