Switching the goal posts: Qatar 2022 set for November/December?

The question about when the tournament will be held is set to be revealed in Doha Tuesday with the smart money being on a November/December timetable.

Having been cleared of any wrongdoing by Michael Garcia’s investigation into alleged corruption into the bidding process surrounding the 2022 tournament, Qatar and world governing body FIFA must now negotiate the minefield of placating a host of parties by playing a World Cup outside of the traditional June/July schedule.

When Qatar won the bid in 2010, its opponents thought they were all bidding for the same tournament — but it turns out that’s not quite true.

The intense heat in the Gulf state during June/July is considered potentially too dangerous for the players to play in, meaning this World Cup will take place in the Qatari winter — and hugely inconvenience the world’s biggest domestic leagues.

“The prospect of a winter World Cup is neither workable nor desirable for European domestic football,” an English Premier League (EPL) spokesman told CNN.

So what’s happening this week?

A FIFA task force, that’s a committee to the rest of us, has had plenty to consider in making its recommendation over the World Cup’s date.

A tournament held at the starf of 2022 would represent huge problems for broadcasters, with the U.S. sporting schedule is already packed in January with the NFL playoffs, while the 2022 Winter Olympics are set to take place the following month.

It remains to be seen how much of a fuss other broadcasters will make if the tournament is moved to November/December.

What will happen to club competitions?

There are still seven years to go until the World Cup in Qatar so domestic leagues will have time to make plans to avoid as much disruption to their season as possible, but a switch to November and December is likely to provide a major headache for top-flight leagues and clubs.

Notably for the EPL, which doesn’t have a winter break — unlike most other European leagues. That potentially presents issues for its English teams as to how best to prevent their players from suffering burnout.

Likewise European governing body UEFA, which runs the Champions League and Europa League, will also have to work out how its prestigious competitions, fit around a winter World Cup.

At the moment it’s a case of “wait and see” but this one looks set to run and run.

Read: Zahir Belounis — from ‘soccer prisoner’ to waiter

Read: Amnesty criticizes Qatar over abuse

CNN