Defender opposed to playing in intense heat

Posted Tuesday, January 04, 2011 by skysports.com

Defender opposed to playing in intense heat Germany international Philipp Lahm says he is against playing the 2022 World Cup in Qatar during the summer, insisting it is 'madness' to play in such high temperatures.

Qatar, whose recent successful bid was based on holding the World Cup in the summer, has pledged to build air-conditioned stadiums to host games in 11 years' time.

However, several leading figures, including Uefa president Michel Platini and Fifa president Sepp Blatter, have said they would be prepared to back a winter tournament.

Bayern Munich defender Lahm, 27, who captained Germany at last year's World Cup in South Africa, feels players should not be expected to perform in such intense heat.

"I'm happy that I won't have to play there as an active player," Lahm, who played for Germany in a friendly against United Arab Emirates in Dubai in June 2009, told German sports news agency SID.

"It's not really much fun in summer at over 40 Celsius, it's unimaginable.

"There, it was 40 Celsius late in the evening and the humidity was very high. It was very, very exhausting and it was madness."