FIFA president Sepp Blatter made his strongest endorsement yet of moving the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to winter, saying he “expects” the move to avoid the blistering heat in the desert nation.

Blatter, attending the Asian Cup in Qatar, said yesterday he felt the tournament should be moved to a cooler time of the year to protect the health of the players. A similar move was initiated for this year’s Asian Cup which normally is held in the summer.

“We must play at the most adequate period to have a successful World Cup,” Blatter told reporters. “To have a successful World Cup, we have to protect actors, the players which means (playing) in winter.”

Asked later in the round-table with reporters whether the tournament would indeed be moved, he said that he “expected it.”

Qatar was awarded the 2022 World Cup in December despite fears that temperatures exceeding 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) pose a serious health risk to players and fans. Soon after it won the bid over the United States, Australia, South Korea and Japan, several top football executives led by FIFA executive committee member Franz Beckenbauer and UEFA president Michel Platini endorsed the move.

The only opposition to the move thus far has been Europe’s big clubs, which fear a winter World Cup would throw their league schedules into chaos. Among those that have come out are the heads of AC Milan and Barcelona.

“It would be very difficult today to see the top five European leagues change their calendar in order to accommodate the World Cup in January,” Milan director Umberto Gandini said on the sidelines of the two-day Globe Soccer conference last month.

“We have traditions. We have business in place. We have contracts in place,” he continued. “It would be complicated. I’m not saying it’s not possible but it would required a lot of negotiations, a lot of discussions and it would probably effect not only 2022 but 2021 as well.”

Blatter said any change in the World Cup would have to first come from Qatar which so far has not requested it. If Qatar would make such a request, then it would be up to the FIFA executive committee to rule on a first-ever winter World Cup. Blatter did not say when the committee might make such a decision but insisted there is plenty of time.

Qatar has been silent on the issue since winning the bid and a spokesman for the bid organisers could not be reached immediately for comment.