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FIFA to publish Garcia report

SoccerNews in General Soccer News 19 Dec 2014

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FIFA’s Executive Committee has unanimously agreed to publish Michael Garcia’s report into the bidding process for the next two World Cups.

World football’s governing body had come under increasing pressure to disclose the full details of the 430-page report, with only a summary of its contents having been made public until now.

And on Friday it was announced in a statement from FIFA president Sepp Blatter that the findings of the investigation into the bids for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments – hosted by Russia and Qatar respectively – would be published “in an appropriate form” and once “ongoing procedures against individuals are concluded”.

Former United States attorney Garcia, who led the investigation, this week resigned from his position as independent chairman of the Investigatory Chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee.

The American blasted “erroneous representations of the facts” in the summary compiled by Hans-Joachim Eckert, chairman of the adjudicatory chamber of FIFA’s Independent Ethics Committee.

Domenico Scala, the independent Audit and Compliance Committee chairman, recommended to FIFA that the report be published and that advice has now been heeded.

Blatter, who confirmed there would be no reopening of the vote for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, said: “It is clear that while a summary of the report was issued, the publication of this report has become a barrier to rebuilding public confidence and trust in FIFA.

“Part of this is due to the fact that we have been deliberate in the way that we have moved through the process.

“We need to ensure that we respect the rules of our organisation and that we do not breach confidentiality in a way that will prevent people from speaking out in the future.

“Now it is important that the work of the Ethics Committee continues and that any instances of wrongdoing are fully investigated and their perpetrators pursued and sanctioned.

“But the report is about history and I am focused on the future. We will not revisit the 2018 and 2022 vote and a report by independent, external legal experts commissioned by Mr Scala supports the view that there are no legal grounds to revoke the Executive Committee’s decision on the award of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

“The work over the past two years of the investigatory committee led by Mr. Garcia has played a valuable role in ensuring that FIFA rules are upheld and has resulted in a series of sanctions against individuals.

“Although we are disappointed that our work with Mr Garcia has ended this way, I want to make it clear that our commitment to ethical standards is stronger than ever.”

 

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