Football Association chairman David Bernstein has come out strongly against proposals to move the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to the winter.

Bernstein, who steps down as FA chairman next month, said the idea was “fundamentally flawed” and believes the game should also resist any attempt to make domestic leagues play in the summer.

He was speaking after UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino added his voice to calls for a winter World Cup and also questioned why European leagues did not play in the summer.

Moving the 2022 World Cup to winter would cause significant disruption to European leagues – it would affect three seasons if the 2022 World Cup was played in December or January – and Bernstein said Qatar won the vote on the basis of it being played in June.

“My personal view is that it would be a case of a false prospectus if the 2022 World Cup in Qatar was switched to the winter,” Bernstein said.

“It is a serious matter bidding for the World Cup and countries including ourselves spent huge amounts of money bidding for the tournament.

“The bid was for the World Cup to be played in June and July and for it then to be moved to the winter would be fundamentally flawed. If people want it in the winter they should bid for it on that basis.

“To try and get it through the back door like this is absolutely flawed.”

In terms of domestic leagues playing in the summer, Bernstein is equally opposed.

He added: “Football is a winter game, that the public greatly enjoy their football through the winter and that we should think very carefully before we take football away from the public in the winter.”