BERLIN – Several matches at this month's football Club World
Cup in Qatar including the final have been moved to a new venue
because the opening of a newly-constructed stadium near Doha has been
delayed.
The official opening of the Education City Stadium has been postponed
until early 2020, world governing body FIFA said on Saturday.
It had been due to stage the second semi-final, the match for third
place and the December 21 final. These will now be moved to Khalifa
International Stadium.
FIFA said construction at Education City Stadium, one of Qatar's
newly-built 2022 World Cup stadiums, was complete and the venue
operational.
"However, the necessary certification process took longer than
expected and therefore the stadium was unable to host the required
test events prior to the semi-final and final of the FIFA Club World
Cup at full capacity," a statement said.
"The priority is to ensure an enjoyable experience for all fans so it
was decided to open the stadium at a later date."
The Club World Cup begins with the first round on Wednesday.