Bowing to international pressure, world soccer authorities agreed Friday to release a “legally appropriate version” of a long-awaited corruption report produced by former U.S. Attorney Michael Garcia.
The executive committee of FIFA, soccer’s international governing body, voted unanimously to publish Garcia’s 430-page report of his investigation into the bidding process that won the 2018 and 2022 World Cup tournament hosting rights for Russia and Qatar.
The decision came just days after Garcia resigned in protest over FIFA’s “lack of leadership” and shortage of transparency. Garcia submitted his report in September, and fiercely disputed the accuracy of a 42-page “summary” of his findings that appeared on FIFA’s website in November.
“We have always been determined the truth should be known,” said FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who insisted the 2018 and 2022 tournaments won’t be relocated.
“It would really need an earthquake, extremely important new elements, to go back on this World Cup in Qatar,” Blatter said.
Law enforcement officials in the United States and Switzerland (where FIFA is based) have taken an interest in FIFA’s executive committee, or Ex-co, the rotating group of international soccer officials who in 2010 chose between nine potential World Cup hosts. FIFA has expelled several members of the Ex-co, and one American on the panel in 2010, Chuck Blazer, has cooperated with an FBI and IRS probe based in the Eastern District of New York.
It’s still not clear exactly when Garcia’s report will be produced, but there is no going back now. One FIFA Ex-co member who applauded the decision was Michel Platini, president of UEFA, the organization that oversees Champions League soccer.
“I have always battled for transparency, and this is a step in the right direction,” Platini said. “Let us hope that the report can now be published as quickly as possible. The credibility of FIFA depends on it.”
The release of the report, which is likely to follow redactions in the text to preserve the confidentiality of witnesses, will happen only when ongoing investigations into several individuals are completed.
“We need to ensure that we respect the rules of our organization and that we do not breach confidentiality in a way that will prevent people from speaking out in the future,” added Blatter.
