World Soccer - UK (2022-01)

Qatar 2022 posesproblemsforthecalendar

Traditionally, professionalfootball

stopsaroundmostofthe planet

whilethe WorldCupis beingstaged.

Noone objects,largelybecause

it’sgenerally closeseasonin

thenorthernhemisphere.

Qatar 2 02 2 will be different

anddifficultbecauseitwillnotsitin

theconvenientEuropeansummer.

Thecomplicationsare clearfrom

confirmationfromthe Premier

Leagueandthe Football League

ofhow nextseason’s schedulewill

berearrangedtosqueezeinthe

historicfirstwinterfinalsinthe Gulf.

England’s clubsprovidea larger

percentageofplayerstoa World

Cupthanany othercountry, so it

maybe theonlynationinwhich

boththetop twodivisionsare

haltedratherthanjust the

primarycompetition.

ThePremier Leagueseason

willstartonAugust6 – oneortwo

weeksearlierthanusual–andthe

final roundofpre-finalsmatcheswill

bestagedon SaturdayandSunday,

November 12 and 1 3.The opening

matchofthe finals,withplayersstill

potentiallynursing theirinjuries,is

onNovember 21 andthefinalon

Sunday,December 18. ThePremier

Leaguethenresumes eightdays

lateronBoxingDay.

Obviouslythe more successfula

nationalteamis,thelesstimewill be

availablefor theirstars to flyback,

restandrefresh beforebeingthrown

backinto theholiday hurly-burly.

Englandisalone,ofcourse,in

staginga busyChristmas/NewYear

holidayschedule.Home-basedstars

fromSpain,Italy, Portugal,France

andGermanywillhaveat least an

extraweekormore to sayhelloto

theirfamiliesbeforekickingoff their

clubduties– a factorthatmaywell

havea biginfluenceonwhichclubs

progresstotheclosingstages of

theEuropeanclubcompetitions.

Oneintriguingpointisthat

manyforeignplayersinthetop

fiveleagueswill have departed the

World Cupuptoa monthbefore

theirleaguesareduetoresume.

Inevitably, somemajor clubswill

wanttobring oneormorematches

forwardintothegap weeks.FIFA

mightfrownon thatbutany

domesticbroadcasterwould

doubtlessbe delighted.

THEWORLD THISMONTH

THEINSIDER

Keir

RADNEDGE

ThePremier League’sfinalround

ofmatcheswill be played on May 28

2023 , when allgameswillkickoff

simultaneouslyasusual.

Asfor theFootball League,allits

three divisionswillbeginnextseason

onthe weekendofSaturday,July 30

withthesecond-tierChampionship

stoppingforitsbreakonNovember 13.

CompetitionresumesonDecember 9

after theWorldCup’s roundof 16.

LeaguesOneandTwo – the

third andfourthtierofthe English

professionalgame– willcarryonas

normalthroughoutthe WorldCup.

Thatcould be goodnewsfor club

attendanceswithno competition

fromthePremierLeague.However

individualmatchescouldbe

postponed duetointernational

WorldCupcall-ups.

Thefinalroundofthe regularEFL

campaignissetfortheweekendof

Saturday, May6 with thepromotion

play-off finalsonMay 27-29.

Incidentally, thefourthroundof

theLeagueCup will be scheduled

Qatar 2022 ...

theWorldCup’s

officialemblem

[AwinterWorldCup]waseventuallyapproved

byFIFA withcomparativelylittlecomplaintfrom

themajorEuropeanleagues.Perhaps,atthe

time,theythoughttheQatarWorldCupwas

toofarintothedistancetobeofconcern