The German judge reviewing a report on the investigation into FIFA’s awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups will release a summary of his findings on Thursday, although he is not expected to recommend that either host country lose its rights to the tournament.
The judge, Hans-Joachim Eckert, will summarize the findings of the investigation by Michael J. Garcia, a former United States attorney who was retained in 2012 to look into the bidding process. Eckert’s report will for the first time reveal some of the findings unearthed by Garcia, who has at times sparred with FIFA officials — and with Eckert — about whether the entire report should be released publicly.
FIFA’s president, Sepp Blatter, has said repeatedly that FIFA’s code of ethics makes it impossible to release the report in full, and even turned back a challenge to do so from members of his organization’s governing executive committee.
Garcia submitted his findings to Eckert in September at a meeting that quickly revealed that they had different agendas with respect to releasing the contents to the public. According to several people briefed on the meetings, Eckert and his deputy, Alan Sullivan, told Garcia early on that they thought much of the report could probably not be made public because of privacy concerns. That surprised Garcia, who had assumed that if the report was appropriately redacted — to protect a few crucial witnesses — most of it could, and should, be released.
Garcia contended that the FIFA inquiry was not a criminal investigation but a review that related to FIFA’s internal rules and regulations; Eckert expressed concerns about the privacy of those accused of wrongdoing. (In the structure of FIFA’s ethics committee, Garcia leads the investigatory chamber and Eckert the adjudicatory chamber.)
Eckert later released a statement through FIFA announcing that he would release his initial impressions of Garcia’s report in early November, but in doing so he also outlined how the process would proceed from there.
“Our primary task for now is to examine whether the investigatory chamber has followed all the correct procedures and whether, in our assessment, more detailed information is required in certain areas,” Eckert said in his statement. “However, it is up to the investigatory chamber, under the chairmanship of Michael Garcia, to decide whether — and if so against whom — specific ethics proceedings should be opened.”
If Garcia determines that such proceedings are required, Eckert said, “the matter will be formally referred to the adjudicatory chamber, which will then initiate the adjudicatory proceedings.”
MEXICO BEATS NETHERLANDS Carlos Vela scored twice as Mexico beat the Netherlands, 3-2, in a friendly in Amsterdam, exacting a bit of revenge for a bitter loss to the Dutch that eliminated Mexico from the World Cup. The defeat was the fourth in Guus Hiddink’s five games as coach of the Netherlands, and it highlighted the defensive frailties that have crept into the team since Hiddink replaced Louis van Gaal after the World Cup. It also put more pressure on Hiddink, who has hinted that he will quit if his team loses Sunday’s European championship qualifier against host Latvia. (AP)
IN OTHER GAMES Neymar scored a goal in each half to lead Brazil to a 4-0 win over Turkey in Istanbul, giving Brazil’s coach, Dunga, his fifth win in a row since returning to the national team after the World Cup. The Turkish crowd loudly chanted Neymar’s name after his second goal and jeered the home team during parts of the match. ... Lionel Messi scored the winner from the penalty spot as Argentina came from behind to beat Croatia, 2-1, in London. Messi’s 45th international goal came in the 57th minute, after striker Sergio Agüero was taken down by Croatia goalkeeper Lovre Kalinic. (AP)