Premier League set for six weeks break for 2022 World Cup in Qatar
The English Premier League has agreed to a winter break next season in order to avoid games clashing with the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup to be held in Qatar is the first to be held in the winter starting from November 21 and ending on December 18.
There have been controversies surrounding the World Cup on how the domestic football calendar across Europe will be affected but some clarity on the situation in England has now been confirmed.
The 2022/23 English Premier League season will break after the weekend beginning November 12, giving players just over a week to prepare with their national teams before the World Cup begins.
And in less than two weeks after the closure of the global tournament, the EPL will resume on Boxing Day, December 26. This certifies that players from the EPL who will reach the final will have a few days rest, specifically eight days before getting back on the pitch for their respective clubs.
On Wednesday, officials from Premier League Clubs had a meeting to come to an agreement on how things will be done concerning the world cup and the Premier League fixtures. The conclusion was then arrived during that particular meeting, bring certainty to the English league calendar for the 2022/23 season.
In an interview, Aston Villa chairman Christian Purslow was highly critical of playing the World Cup midway through the league season.
“Next season when we play in an equally crazy idea, which is a winter World Cup, we won’t see any Premier League football at the peak of our season between November and December, which is something that people are going to have to get used to.
“These are decisions that get taken a long time ago. They bite, quite soon. Next season we’ll all see that.
“I always have concerns about player welfare but I have more concerns for our fans missing Premier League football in the winter for five weeks, which is our great national tradition and our great national heritage.”
The most-watched league in the world, the English Premier League will also begin a week earlier, on Saturday, August 6, for the 2022/2023 season and finish slightly later than usual. Premier League fans will miss the league but will also have the chance to enjoy the World Cup.
By: George Addo | Join our Telegram Channel
