FIFA has never acted like an organisation which is bothered about winning popularity contests.

It seems as if the world governing body will soon double the hostility already felt towards the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Having already selected a hugely unpopular venue for football's greatest spectacle, it is likely to stage it at an equally unpopular time. Bad enough to be forced to put up with Qatar, worse still for it to shoe-horned into the middle of the football calendar at home.

There is a growing suspicion among European clubs and league associations that FIFA and UEFA have little regard for domestic football and place far greater significance on the tournaments they host themselves, chiefly the World Cup and the Champions League. World Cup finals held in November and December - as has been recommended by a taskforce reporting to FIFA - would cause some disruption to Champions League and Europa League schedules, but not a huge amount. Far greater upheaval would be caused for domestic league and cup fixtures across Europe. Qatar's temperatures can reach an intolerable 40C or more in the summer, and drop to around 25C in November and December, so fears over the playing climate would be removed if the taskforce recommendation is ratified, but at what cost?

The Association of European Professional Football Leagues, the body which represents the shared interests of 31 members and associate members from 24 European countries, proposed that the 2022 finals be held in May, when Qatar's burning temperatures would be low enough to be tolerable for competing players and visiting supporters. For all the clout of the European leagues, for all the clout of this continent's stellar club names, that suggestion was not supported. The taskforce created by FIFA to find a time for Qatar instead recommended November and December. When that news emerged there was a weary groan of disappointment and frustration across the European club scene.

An explanation was forthcoming. January/February was ruled out because of the Winter Olympics, said a FIFA statement. Ramadan made April unavailable, while the climate prevented the finals being staged May and September. The statement said: "The outcome of the discussions is also a proposed reduced competition days schedule with the exact dates to be defined in line with the match schedule and number of venues to be used for the 22nd edition of football's flagship event. The proposed event dates have the full support of all six confederations. The proposal will be discussed at the next meeting of the FIFA executive committee, scheduled to take place at the home of FIFA in Zurich on 19 and 20 March 2015."

Britain's FIFA vice-president Jim Boyce, of Northern Ireland, said moving the World Cup to winter was a "common sense" decision. "It will cause a lot of disruption but it is eight years away and people should have enough time to make it work.'" UEFA's support was unequivocal. "UEFA believes that - for the benefits of players and fans - the event should be played in winter and now awaits the final decision from the FIFA executive committee meeting. UEFA sees no major issues in rescheduling its competitions for the 2022/23 season, should the 2022 FIFA World Cup proposal be approved by the FIFA executive committee, and UEFA acknowledges that the competition may be shortened and thus that the release period of players be reduced." Any shortening of the finals would amount to only a few days.

Barclays Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore said major clubs across Europe had been left "very disappointed" by the disruption they would have to factor into their campaigns in seven years' time. The BPL looked unstoppable when it announced a £5 billion television deal earlier this month, but FIFA's taskforce defied it. Underlining Scudamore's position, the Association of European Professional League said: "The clubs have expressed their disagreement with respect to this proposal which will perturb and cause great damage to the normal running of the European domestic competitions. Leagues and clubs have reiterated, once again, their joint solution for holding the World Cup during the month of May."

The chairman of the taskforce, Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, said various options had been considered on the 2002 calendar and that November and December amounted to the best solution. As far as he was concerned all the alternatives - including the May option - would be considered at the final FIFA executive committee discussion and vote. In boardrooms across Europe, though, there would be surprise if FIFA went against the recommendation of its taskforce. 2022 seems sure to be the first World Cup year with an empty summer and a huge, unwelcome intrusion in the middle of winter.

By then the clubs may have delivered a bloody nose of their own. They pay the wages of the great stars who illuminate a World Cup. In defying them over dates, FIFA risk making a very powerful enemy.