Russia and Qatar Bids cleared of misconduct

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When FIFA’s chairman of the Ethics Committee Hans-Joachim Eckert released the 42 page summary of Michael Garcia’s investigation into the bidding of the 2018 & 2022 World Cups it was no shock to anyone that Russia and Qatar hosts of the 2018 and 2022 editions of the World Cup were cleared of any wrongdoing.

Eckert’s summary stated that Russia “made only a limited amount of documents available for review” as the computers which had been leased to the Russia Bid Committee had been returned to their original owner and subsequently destroyed in the meantime. The report cleared Russia of any wrongdoing stating “the evidence available is not sufficient to support any findings of misconduct by the Russia 2018 bid team”.

However, the summary report attributed blame to the English and Australian bids stating both had “potentially problematic facts and circumstances" in their bids and stating that they had undermined the integrity of the bidding.

Australia was heavily criticized in regards to directing funds the Australian Government had set aside for existing development projects in Africa towards initiatives in countries with ties to FIFA Executive Committee members. Furthermore, the report identified certain payments from the FFA to CONCACAF which according the report appear to have been comingled with the funds of the then CONCACAF president Jack Warner who was a FIFA Executive Committee Member. It is believed a cheque for $462,200 was deposited into an account controlled by Warner in September 2010 and an official report into integrity in Caribbean football in April 2013 concluded that he ‘misappropriated these funds’.


Eckert stated due to legal reasons the full 350 page report by Garcia will not be published which prompted German Football League president Reinhard Rauball to warn that UEFA may quit FIFA if Garcia’s report is not published in full stating “If this doesn’t happen and the crisis is not resolved in a credible manner, you have to entertain the question of whether you are still in good hands with FIFA”

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