The nations most affected won an easing of the limitation after arguing players' health was at greater risk competing in extreme temperatures.
This afternoon Liverpool's footballers are likely to discover the truth of that as they launch their latest European campaign. Last year's finalists will have to play Toulouse in temperatures approaching 100F in the shade - and there will not be much of that in the Stade Municipal. This is because the Champions League third qualifying round, first-leg tie is kicking off at 4.30pm local time due to the demands of television. Setanta are showing both this match, and Arsenal's qualifier in Prague.
"Given how hot it will be, and the fact we have had more preparation time than them, we hope we can make them suffer," said Nicolas Dieuze, the captain of Toulouse.
Rafa Benitez was less concerned. "It will be a problem but we are ready. It is the reason we went to Hong Kong in pre-season," he quipped.
Of more long-term significance, perhaps, will be the rising mercury in Liverpool's dressing room when Benitez announces his team. Such is the strength of the squad some very good players will be omitted, especially with Benitez having an eye on Chelsea's weekend visit to Anfield.
One man who does expect to figure is Peter Crouch. On Monday Crouch had a "heated discussion" with Benitez after he was left on Merseyside on Saturday when Liverpool played the opening game of the Premier League season at Villa Park. Dirk Kuyt, and the three new signings, Fernando Torres, Andriy Voronin and Ryan Babel, all figured in Birmingham suggesting Crouch is now fifth in the Anfield pecking order.
It was a bad start to the campaign for the England striker, reviving memories of May's European Cup final when he was left on the bench for 70 minutes despite being the team's leading scorer in the competition. The England striker wants to remain at Anfield, but were he to decide he has no future there he can expect interest from several ambitious mid-range domestic clubs, notably West Ham, Manchester City and Sunderland.
Crouch was not the only player to be disgruntled. Javier Mascherano and Yossi Benayoun were also left behind on Saturday while Jermaine Pennant did not travel here yesterday. An unrepentant Benitez said: "We have a lot of good players. I have to decide who to bring, who to play. This is football, you can only play with 11."
Mascherano and Benayoun are both likely to play tonight with Benitez considering flooding the midfield and playing Steven Gerrard behind Crouch.
The motivation, for Benitez and his players, is not the riches which await the club in qualifying but the chance to atone for May's failure in the final. "I am still not over that game in Athens," said Benitez. " I think about it all the time."
Gerrard added: "I don't have to keep looking at what went wrong, I know, and that makes me and everyone else more determined to put things right. Athens can be a spur. It was a big blow for everyone involved but good players and big clubs bounce back - you only have to look at AC Milan. We've got to use their attitude. They lost to us in the final a couple of years ago but bounced back to win in Athens. Who's to say we can't do the same?"
Liverpool meet a Toulouse team who are full of confidence. A city which is normally fixated on the oval ball is abuzz at the prospect of the five-time European champions coming to town. It is the club's biggest game since Diego Maradona's Napoli were dispatched from the Uefa Cup 20 years ago. It also follows Saturday's defeat of Lyon, the French champions for the last six seasons.
Johan Elmander, a much-coveted Swedish striker, scored the only goal. Daniel Agger, a former team-mate at Bronby, will need to keep Elmander quiet if Liverpool are to secure a clean sheet. Watch, too, for Moussa Sissoko. The midfielder is no relation but of the same Malian background to his Liverpool namesake. Not 18 until tomorrow, he made an impressive debut against Lyon and is thought to have a big future.
But Toulouse have problems in central defence and Benitez is confident that Liverpool can progress. In recent years they have effectively settled these qualifiers in an opening, away leg and seek to do so again.