Ever since the 2022 World Cup was awarded to Qatar, there have been enough ridiculous proposals to fill a small Caribbean island. Even FIFA can’t get its head around the latest one though and that really is saying something – splitting matches into thirds.
One of the ideas that FIFA has already gone for is the cooling of stadiums using air conditioning. The people that they’re working with on this system really do seem to have a screw loose though.
Michael Beavon, is a director of Arup Associates who are helping develop the zero-carbon solar cooling technology. He has his own delusions of grandeur it would seem.
“There is a moderate risk of heat injury to the players between 24C-29C but if you go above that you have high and extreme risk of injury. The one thing FIFA do say, although it is for guidance, is if it’s 32C they will stop a match and play three 30-minute thirds rather than two 45-minute halves.
“The reason would be to re-hydrate the players before they could carry on playing. That of course would play havoc with TV schedules and those kind of things. The commitment from Qatar was to provide conditions in the moderate band, so that matches would go ahead and be played as normal. Matches have to be played at an acceptable temperature and in safety so that FIFA do not intervene.”
A FIFA spokesperson told Reuters, “This possibility has not been discussed.
“In any case, this would require a change in the Laws of the Game, and therefore would have to be analysed and approved by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) in the first place.”
Sorry. So what we’ve got here is a company that specializes in air conditioning large buildings advising FIFA on how to run the sport. Everyone knows it’s not all hunky dory in Switzerland right now. Rule changes initiated by air conditioners though? Next it’ll be the Women’s World Cup being played in underwear. Sorry to get you all hot under the collar Sepp. At least it would give the sports betting firms more markets
