FIFA Reject Garcia Appeal Over Report

FIFA’s appeal committee has rejected Michael Garcia’s appeal against the findings of ethics committee chairman Hans-Joachim Eckert into his report, claiming it is “not admissible”.

Garcia was hired by FIFA to investigate the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups in Russia and Qatar after allegations of corruption.

Judge Eckert published a 42-page report of his findings last month, which Garcia claimed were inaccurate, leading him to lodge an official appeal.

In a statement released by FIFA they state that Eckert’s report was “neither legally binding nor appealable”.

The statement read: “The said statement about the report on the inquiry into the 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup bidding process does not constitute a decision and as such is neither legally binding nor appealable.”