LONDON: Richard Scudamore, chief executive of England’s Premier League, has complained that the World Cup task force meeting was not so much a discussion more of an order.

Scudamore was a member of the FIFA panel which met in Doha to sort out a new timing slot for the 2022 World Cup.

Interviewed by Sky TV after the announcement of the November/December date, he said he felt “very disappointed on behalf of the all the European leagues and particularly the European clubs who provide most of the players for this World Cup.

“The idea that we turned up today, it was a pretty short meeting, to be told that it is going to happen in November and December is very disappointing.

“We had a consistent position all along and for the integrity of the Football League to have to stop for six or seven weeks is less than ideal.”

Scudamore claimed others were able to protect their competitions, while Europe’s leagues had to give up space in their calendar and nobody else would be “giving much up”.

He added: “FIFA keeps its international dates, keeps the World Cup intact. Even UEFA who, I think, let us down a little bit, clearly pushed this … so their Champions League can start and carry on again, just like it always does.

“We were pretty much told, hence the disappointment.”

Asked about possible financial compensation, Scudamore said it was “for others to go down that route.”

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