Fifa to publish 'appropriate form' of Garcia report

The Fifa Executive Committee has agreed to publish an "appropriate form" of Michael Garcia's report into the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar respectively.

The ExCo came to the decision to publish the Garcia report once investigations into current serving members are concluded. 

ExCo members Angel Maria Villar Llona, Worawi Makudi and Michel D'Hooghe had proceedings initiated against them by Garcia before his dramatic resignation from his role as Fifa's ethics committee chief investigator on Wednesday. 

Garcia quit Fifa due to what he perceived as misrepresentation of his report by Hans-Joachim Eckert, head of Fifa's adjudicatory chamber, who released his summary of the Garcia report in November. 

While Eckert concluded that proceedings should be opened against certain individuals, his summary stopped short of finding reason to strip Russia and Qatar of the World Cups.

A statement from Fifa president Sepp Blatter reads: "Based on the recommendation from Domenico Scala, the independent Audit and Compliance Committee Chairman, I have asked the Fifa Executive Committee to vote in favour of the publication of the 2018/2022 inquiry report by the investigatory chamber.

"The Fifa Executive Committee unanimously agreed to ask the Adjudicatory Chamber of the independent Ethics Committee to publish the report in an appropriate form once the ongoing procedures against individuals are concluded. I am pleased they have agreed. It has been a long process to arrive at this point and I understand the views of those who have been critical."

more to follow...