By Andrew Warshaw, chief correspondent, in Marrakesh
December 19 – It led to the resignation of its author and involved months and months of chaos and confusion. But FIFA finally agreed today to publish what Sepp Blatter described as the “famous” Michael Garcia report into possible corruption in the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bid process.
But whenever publication takes place – and it could be several months from now – there will be no revote and both Russia and Qatar will remain as respective hosts. In other words, pretty much what we knew already.
FIFA’s executive committee unanimously agreed to publish a “legally appropriate version” of Garcia’s full 430-page report meaning confidentiality will be maintained as much as possible in a redacted version.
But how much extra the world at large will learn remains unclear since it was made clear at a packed and at times fractious press conference in Marrakesh that the edited report will only see the light of day once separate investigations into five senior officials – four of whom voted in the ballot four years ago – have been completed and any sanctions announced.
And that itself may not be until spring next year.
Whilst publication of the report, whenever that happens, will be largely welcomed, FIFA revealed that the decision was only taken after the advice of yet two more experts, one German and one Swiss, who had to be pulled in by FIFA’s audit and compliance chief Dominico Scala, the man who took over the case following the infamous spat between Garcia and German judge Hans-Joachim Eckert that led to the former’s resignation this week.
“I cannot be the judge of the judge,” explained Scala by means of justifying why he had to refer to two other legal brains in a further escalation of the ridiculous complexities that have plagued this entire affair.
But the fact that both experts agreed with Eckert’s disputed 42-page summary that were no grounds to order a revote of 2018 and 2022 seems bound to infuriate those who suspect FIFA still has something to hide over and above simply probing the conduct of the five individuals, three of whom have already vehemently denied any wrongdoing.
“The famous Garcia report is no longer such a timely matter,” said an unusually nervous-looking Blatter as he kicked off proceedings at the grandiose Sofitel hotel by thanking his executive committee for their support. “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. At the current time, there is no reason to go back on our decisions. The decision of December 2010 will stand.”
“The two World Cups are in the calendar, the only thing missing is the precise dates for 2022, but these two World Cups will take place.”
Addressing Qatar specifically, Blatter said only an “earthquake” could change FIFA’s decision to go to the Gulf state. “It would really need an earthquake, extremely important new elements to go back on this World Cup in Qatar,” he said.
Garcia was appointed FIFA’s independent ethics investigator in July 2012 and spent two years investigating all nine bids for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. The American lawyer travelled the world speaking to bid officials and compiling evidence. But then everything went horribly wrong, with leaks, claims and counter-claims, leading to Garcia’s resignation this week citing “lack of leadership” at the top of FIFA. Garcia’s deputy Cornel Borbély has been appointed as acting Chairman of the investigatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee and he will lead the on-going investigations.
Blatter, using all his trademark rhetoric, conceded his organisation had been in crisis but insisted: “The crisis has stopped because we again have the unity in our government.”
He also took the opportunity to further enhance his credentials by standing for a fifth term next May. “I trust in myself, otherwise I wouldn’t be here,” he said. “Probably you will see my name (up for re-election) because I have been asked by a lot of national federations.”
In a statement before the press conference, Blatter stated that the independent legal advice Scala had received from the two legal experts also “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.”
Blatter recognised that the process had taken far too long said he understood “the views of those who have been critical… At the same time we also need to remember that while the report is complete, the investigations flowing from it are not. We must ensure that we do not jeopardise those investigations.”
He also recognised that “the publication of this report had become a barrier to rebuilding public confidence and trust in FIFA.” But he defended the process by saying: “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.”
Such was the interest in the Garcia report that there was not even any discussion at the news conference of other matters discussed at the two-day exco session that took place on the fringes of the Club World Cup.
Scala later made it clear to reporters that at the heart of the entire debacle was the fact that ethics code itself would have to be changed in future to prevent such a farcical situation from ever happening again.
“There has been an error in the process,” he conceded, stressing the ethics code only provided for sanctions against individuals. “We have to learn from this and I have made a recommendation that the code needs clarification.”
“Based on the expertise I commissioned there is nothing in the report that at this stage says a revote is needed. The report will eventually be published but only the exco can order a revote and it can only be based on legal assessment I have provided. We can only rely on the judgement of the two professors I commissioned, who are totally independent of FIFA. Not on public opinion.”
UEFA president Michel Platini, who has fallen out spectacularly with Blatter in recent months because of FIFA’s perceived chicanery and Blatter’s U-turn on running again for president, commented: “Let us hope that the report can now be published as quickly as possible. The credibility of FIFA depends on it.”
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