Dutch football association chairman Michael van Praag said on Wednesday the KNVB has always supported holding the Qatar 2022 World Cup in the winter.

‘The KNVB has always said it is not a good idea to play in the summer,’ he is quoted as saying by Nos television. ‘More than that I cannot say.’

Van Praag was responding to an apparent decision by world football body Fifa to shift the tournament because of the high temperatures in Qatar in the summer.

The KNVB later issued a formal statement saying it ‘noted’ the statement by Fifa secretary Jérôme Valcke and was waiting for the formal decision.

European football association Uefa said in September last year it would support moving the World Cup to the winter.