FIFA urged to publish ethics findings

FIFA has been urged to make public the findings of an ethics investigation into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

The call came from Prince Ali bin Al Hussein of Jordan, a member of FIFA’s executive committee, who pleaded with the game’s world governing body to offer full disclosure of its findings.

Prince Ali, the executive committee’s Asian vice-president, tweeted: “In the interest of full transparency, I believe it is important that the much-anticipated report on the ethics investigation that is crucial to ensuring good governance at FIFA is fully disclosed and open to the public.

“This will only help the football community move ahead in reforming our institutions in the best interest of the sport.

“The entire football family as well as its sponsors and those who follow the game worldwide have a full right to know the contents of the report in the spirit of complete openness.”

The report, compiled by FIFA’s ethics investigator Michael Garcia, was recently concluded but has not been made public, with the body’s ethics judge, Hans-Joachim Eckert, currently reviewing the findings but insisting that they would not be made known.

He said last week: “You cannot expect for anything to be disclosed from this report to the public. There is an obligation for secrecy and we will comply with this.”

FIFA’s decision to award the 2022 World Cup to Qatar has come under particular scrutiny, with the country’s unsuitable climate and questionable human rights record casting doubt over the wisdom of the call.

On Monday another FIFA committee member, Theo Zwanziger, expressed doubts over whether the tournament would ultimately be held in Qatar.