FIFA keeping 350-page WC bidding report findings secret

FIFA chiefs have been reportedly handed the 350-page report into the World Cup bidding contest, but they immediately kept the findings under the veil of secrecy.

Zurich announced that investigations chief Michael J Garcia had finally signed off on the report launched over allegations of corruption involving Qatar's successful 2022 bid and Russia's 2018 victory.

Garcia and his team, who spoke to 75 witnesses, not including disgraced former FIFA executive committee member Mohamed Bin Hammam of Qatar, over their 12-month inquiry sifted through some 2,00,000 pages of evidence and transcripts before compiling the report, The Mirror reported.

In a brief statement, Garcia confirmed that supplemental reports had been compiled into both the Russia and USA bids by his deputy Cornel Borbely. Garcia, a former US State Attorney, excused himself from investigating the US bid while he was banned by Russia from entering the country.

FIFA said that the report set forth detailed factual findings, reached conclusions concerning further action with respect to certain individuals, identified issues to be referred to other world football governing body's committees and made recommendations for future bidding processes.

Garcia's report will now go to FIFA's ethics judge Hans-Joachim Eckhardt, the head of the governing body's Adjudicatory Chamber, to decide on the next step.

Eckhardt is under pressure to publish the report swiftly and decide on any actions which would then be ratified or blocked by FIFA bosses including Sepp Blatter, the report added.