Germany's Bild leaks Garcia report on 2022 World Cup corruption probe

Published June 27th, 2017 - 07:38 GMT
Emir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani (L) receives the World Cup trophy from Fifa President Joseph Blatter (R) after the official announcement that Qatar will host the 2022 World Cup on December 2, 2010 at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich. AFP PHOTO / PHILIPPE DESMAZES
PHILIPPE DESMAZES / AFP
Emir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani (L) receives the World Cup trophy from Fifa President Joseph Blatter (R) after the official announcement that Qatar will host the 2022 World Cup on December 2, 2010 at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich. AFP PHOTO / PHILIPPE DESMAZES PHILIPPE DESMAZES / AFP

Germany's Bild paper said on Tuesday it had gained access to the unpublished report of former FIFA investigator Michael Garcia which looked into possible corruption around the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar, respectively.

Bild said the 430-page Garcia report includes that three FIFA executives were flown to Rio de Janeiro for a party in a private jet of Qatar's federation ahead of the vote; that 2 million dollars were paid to the 10-year-old daughter of a FIFA official; and details the role of the famous Aspire sports academy in Doha.

Peter Rossberg, the Bild reporter who allegedly had access to the report, said on his Facebook page there is "no proof that Russia 2018 or Qatar 2022 were bought. But there are so many strong indicators, especially concerning Qatar, that a different conclusion is hardly possible."

Rossberg named the Garcia report "a portrayal of a completely corrupt system" and said it led to arrests of many football officials as part of criminal investigations.

Russia and Qatar were awarded the tournaments on December 2, 2010 by FIFA's executive committee.

The former United States attorney Garcia was hired to look into corruption allegations around the bid process. He submitted his report on all bidders in 2014 but FIFA's leadership decided not to publish it.

Garcia resigned in December 2014 in protest over the decision not to publish the report and a summary compiled by FIFA's leading judge, Hans Joachim Eckert, which cleared Qatar. Garcia said it contained "numerous materially incomplete and erroneous representations of the facts."

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