Fifa has agreed to publish a redacted version of Michael Garcia's full report into the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding process in an attempt to quell another round of trenchant criticism of world football's governing body.
As Sepp Blatter declared the latest crisis over and insisted "we have always been determined that the truth should be known", the Fifa president simultaneously ruled out a revote for the 2018 World Cup in Russia or the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
“There is no reason to say that our decisions were wrong, so we will go on sticking to our decisions,” Blatter said following a meeting of the executive committee in Marrakech at which it was agreed unanimously, though without a formal vote, to publish an “appropriate” version of Garcia’s report.
Legal grounds
“We will not revisit the 2018 and 2022 vote and a report by independent, external legal experts 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.”
Expert legal advice sought by Domenico Scala, the head of Fifa’s audit committee whose responsibility it was to resolve the row over Garcia’s report, said it was clear “the irregularities determined thus far are not of an extent that would lead to the bidding process as a whole being qualified as significantly illegal”.
Blatter said that without “huge upheaval” or a “new element” emerging, the verdict of Hans-Joachim Eckert – who produced the disputed summary of Garcia’s report that precipitated his resignation – that neither Qatar nor Russia had seriously broken the rules would stand. Around half the 22 members of the executive committee who voted in December 2010 have left the organisation, many with corruption allegations trailing in their wake, and even Eckert’s summary highlighted a host of unanswered questions.
The 78-year-old said that the split in the Fifa executive committee over whether to publish Garcia’s report had been resolved. ‘The crisis has stopped because we again have the unity in our government.”
Fifa also decided that a ban on third-party ownership of players – which could have huge ramifications in Portugal, Spain and South America – would be introduced in May.
Summer heat
It also said that the controversy over the timing of the Qatar World Cup, likely to be moved to November to avoid the summer heat, would be resolved at its next meeting in March.
Blatter said work was under way on a new framework for World Cup bidding. He said the changes would mean “everyone can be confident that the 2026 bidding process will be fair, ethical and open”.
Scala said Garcia’s full 430-page report recommended tightening the rules on gifts, friendly matches and football development investment outside the host country, as well as ensuring only one World Cup was decided at a time. Sources said Scala, who had been given the task of deciding how much of the report the board should see, recommended it be released in a “legally appropriate form” and that there was agreement around the table.
It remains to be seen how heavily redacted the report will be. The identities of the 75-plus witnesses are likely to be obscured.
“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,” said Blatter, who had initially opposed its release.
The decision was made two days after Garcia resigned as head of the investigatory arm of the ethics committee in disgust at the way his report had been handled. Blatter confirmed that the former US attorney for the southern district of New York would be replaced as head of the investigatory arm of the ethics committee by his deputy, Cornel Borbely. Guardian service
