ECA and EPFL make case for May World Cup

The tournament, to be held in Qatar, has caused much controversy, with temperatures in the World Cup's traditional June/July slot deemed unsafe.

FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke announced last month that the global governing body was close to narrowing down the options to two - January/February and November/December.

However, the European Club Association (ECA) and European Professional Football Leagues (EPFL) have joined forces to make the case for a May/June tournament.

Under the proposals, the World Cup would begin on May 5, with the final to take place on June 4.

The bodies argue that the solution offers "acceptable climatic conditions" to both players and fans and would be "less intrusive" to domestic leagues than other winter proposals.

They also point out that a May/June World Cup would avoid any potential clash with the Winter Olympic Games, have little impact on UEFA club competitions and keep the traditional season order.