FIFA Ethics Investigator to Visit FA Over 2018 and 2022 World Cup Bids

FIFA’s ethics investigator Michael Garcia will visit the Football Association in England as part of his review of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding process.

Garcia, medic a US attorney, doctor will visit all nine bidding nations from next week and it is reported that England will be his first stop.

After England lost the 2018 bidding race to Russia, bid leader Lord Triesman made claims that four FIFA members asked for bribes in return for backing England’s bid.

FIFA said there was no evidence backing Lord Triesman’s claims after an internal probe, but three of the four – Jack Warner, Nicolas Leoz and Ricardo Teixeira – left FIFA in disgrace after the claims, although not for World Cup bidding matters.

Garcia was one of 18 people banned from entering Russia due to human rights abuses alleged by Moscow, in connection with the arrest and charging of Viktor Bout.

Bout is serving a 25-year sentence in the States for arms trafficking.

Garcia will also investigate an alleged corrupt link between Spain’s 2018 bid and Qatar’s successful 2022 bid.