European Club Association chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge declared on Wednesday that European clubs will not foot the bill if the 2022 World Cup is moved to a different time of year. A FIFA taskforce is currently studying the feasibility of moving the tournament in Qatar to the European winter.
Such a move would cause significant disruption for European domestic leagues such as the Premier League and the Bundesliga, and Rummenigge is concerned that his organisation's 204 member clubs would pay the price. "If now there is a strong wish (to move the 2022 World Cup) from various stakeholders like FIFA, UEFA, FIFPro and so on, we are ready to discuss, but under one condition: that there is no damage for club football," he told the Leaders Sport Business Summit at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge stadium in London.