Rummenigge: International calendar may have to change

Discussion in 'MLS: General' started by Paul Calixte, Jan 30, 2013.

  1. Paul Calixte

    Paul Calixte Moderator
    Staff Member

    Orlando City SC
    Apr 30, 2009
    Miami, FL
    Club:
    Orlando City SC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    My apologies if this has been covered elsewhere, but...Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has suggested that Europe may move to a spring-fall calendar in the future to avoid mid-winter breaks.

    So, Sepp Blatter...what was that you were saying about MLS adjusting to the international calendar? :D
     
  2. redinthemorning

    redinthemorning Member+

    Apr 26, 2011
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Interesting read. I will caution anyone to jump to conclusions though. From the article:

    At any rate, I'm sure the Russians are pissed at the idea of going back on it. :ROFLMAO:
     
  3. looknohands

    looknohands Member+

    Apr 23, 2009
    Louisville, KY
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    If the point is to avoid playing during the winter, why on earth would you begin your season in January???
     
  4. deejay

    deejay Member+

    Feb 14, 2000
    Tarpon Springs, FL
    Club:
    Jorge Wilstermann
    Nat'l Team:
    Bolivia
    Somebody doesn't like a post Christmas world cup.
     
  5. tigersoccer2005

    tigersoccer2005 Member+

    Dec 1, 2003
    North Bergen, NJ
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Today's wind chills have been brutal--can't really imagine playing soccer under these conditions. I guess January in Europe is milder than here in the U.S.
     
  6. Potowmack

    Potowmack Member+

    Apr 2, 2010
    Washington, DC
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    It is, generally, because of the Gulf Stream. London is further north than Winnipeg and Paris is further north than Montreal.
     
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  7. BrodieQPR

    BrodieQPR Member

    Jun 27, 2010
    Michigan
    Club:
    Queens Park Rangers FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    ^ I like to tease my relatives from the UP that I've lived further north than any of them.

    but still, January is the coldest month in most countries in Europe and February is the second coldest in a few.
     
  8. Darkwing McQuack

    Darkwing McQuack BigSoccer Supporter

    Nov 11, 2011
    Morrisville, PA
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Hmm, wonder if Europe is finally starting to wise up and realize that playing an outdoor sport in the dead of winter wasn't a brilliant idea.
     
  9. ceezmad

    ceezmad Member+

    Mar 4, 2010
    Chicago
    Club:
    Chicago Red Stars
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Only Real man can do that.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
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  10. AlbertCamus

    AlbertCamus Member+

    Colorado Rapids
    Sep 2, 2005
    Colorado, USA
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    It is good that European finals are played in good weather, remember the RedBulls play-offs?
     
  11. Ismitje

    Ismitje Super Moderator

    Dec 30, 2000
    The Palouse
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    And now 9 of the teams full of real men play in domed stadiums/stadiums with retractable roofs. :)
     
  12. RichardL

    RichardL BigSoccer Supporter

    May 2, 2001
    Berkshire
    Club:
    Reading FC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    Bavaria is one of the colder places in Europe, beyond places in the mountains or high up north.

    I remember watching a game on tv last year from Nuremberg and it was something stupid like -14C (about 7F) and not only did most players not even wear gloves, most were in short-sleeve shirts too.
     
  13. Mstars96

    Mstars96 Member

    Jul 13, 2003
    NJ
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I never understood why the autumn - spring schedule, it doesn't make any sense, soccer is played in shorts, outside, on green grass, it's a summer sport, hope the MLS never even thinks of switching schedule, hopefully Europe by 2022 will change, lower south america the weather is reverse so it makes sense for them.
     
  14. mrtandy

    mrtandy Member

    Oxford United
    England
    Mar 12, 2003
    Banbury,Oxfordshire.
    Club:
    Oxford United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    Maybe it's time join the rest of Europe in having a winter break, after the Boxing Day fixtures of course.
    If we changed to a summer schedule then the European Championships would have to be in winter, which could be tricky as postponed games due to weather in a tournament would be awkward to rearrange.
     
  15. ceezmad

    ceezmad Member+

    Mar 4, 2010
    Chicago
    Club:
    Chicago Red Stars
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    And the World Cup in winter.
     
  16. triplet1

    triplet1 BigSoccer Supporter

    Jul 25, 2006

    I was there.

    My father took me despite the furious protests of my mother and grandmother.

    In those days, you could exit and re-enter the stadium, so my brother got to see the first half and my Dad took me to the second half. My grandparents lived a short distance from the stadium and he walked home to get me.

    Cold doesn't begin to describe it.

    Aside from the final drive and the final play, my most vivid memory of the Ice Bowl was the number of people who needed medical treatment -- the P.A. announcer was asking doctors in the crowd to report below the stands to help people.

    December 31st, 1967.
     
  17. AlbertCamus

    AlbertCamus Member+

    Colorado Rapids
    Sep 2, 2005
    Colorado, USA
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Soccer in hot weather is slow and boring though. Plus, Europe's finals are in good weather which is great. I think both continents have it right and neither should change.
     
  18. ceezmad

    ceezmad Member+

    Mar 4, 2010
    Chicago
    Club:
    Chicago Red Stars
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    To be fair, it depends on what parts of Europe.

    Places like Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Scandinavia should have a spring to fall schedule and Western Europe/ Mediterranean Europe could stick with the fall to spring schedule.

    The issue I guess is the middle Europe like Germany, the Balkans, mountain countries.

    So I could see Germany going spring to fall but Spain, Italy and England staying fall to spring.

    But some one from Germany (I think) posted on another thread under the Europe forum, pro/rel may create a problem for Germany and others, since their lower levels would want to keep the summer vacation because they are much more dependant on attendance and they fear they would be lower during the summer.

    So you would not only have to change the top leagues but the full pyramid.
     
  19. Allez RSL

    Allez RSL Member+

    Jun 20, 2007
    Home
    That's insanity. I'm sure their mothers scolded them soundly afterwards.
     
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  20. frobisherthepenguin1

    Jun 6, 2008
    South Jersey
    Club:
    Newcastle United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    Many early football teams were spin-offs of local cricket clubs. The players wanted a sport to keep them fit during the winter when they couldn't play cricket. (circa late 1800s)
     
  21. newtex

    newtex Member+

    May 25, 2005
    Houston
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Avoiding cricket was the main reason but football was a sport played by secondary schools and universities in the 18th and early 19th century. One of the big reasons for the Football Association being formed in 1863 was to codify the rules so all the public schools and universities could compete against each other and so the players could transition onto the university teams having played by the same rules. They played a schedule that fit the school year which in England traditionally started in September.
     
  22. LordRobin

    LordRobin Member+

    Sep 1, 2006
    Akron, OH
    Club:
    Cleveland C. S.
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Oh, pshaw on your practical reasons for the fall-spring schedule which may or may not apply today! True soccer fans know that the fall-spring schedule was handed down by God directly to the English FA on stone tablets, which also included pro/rel, Thou Shalt List Home Teams First, and Why Playoffs are an Abomination!

    ------RM
     
  23. billf

    billf Member+

    May 22, 2001
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    My coldest winter was a spring spent in Munich. :)
     
  24. Unak78

    Unak78 BigSoccer Supporter

    Dec 17, 2007
    PSG & Enyimba FC
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Nigeria
    That isn't for the player's sake and you know it. It's all about the $$$$ and possibly hosting a Super Bowl which is no longer allowed to be a real man's final bc American sports fans are too p*******d to sit in cold weather and watch the big game. Or so the owners have assumed. At any rate, it's generally accepted that maximizing profitability means no longer exposing fans to the elements.
     
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  25. LordRobin

    LordRobin Member+

    Sep 1, 2006
    Akron, OH
    Club:
    Cleveland C. S.
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Well, I guess we're gonna find out when they hold the next Super Bowl in the Meadowlands in February...

    ------RM
     
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