Garcia quits with scathing attack on Fifa’s ‘lack of leadership’

The man in charge of investigating World Cup has quit with a parting blast at Fifa’s leadership.

US lawyer Michael Garcia has resigned as chairman of the investigatory chamber of Fifa’s independent ethics committee after losing his appeal challenging the findings to clear Russia and Qatar to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

Garcia issued a hard-hitting statement criticising Fifa’s “lack of leadership” and saying he cannot change the culture of the world governing body.

It comes after he discovered on Tuesday that he had lost his appeal against the findings by ethics judge Hans-Joachim Eckert.

Garcia’s statement adds: “The appeal committee also overlooked the Eckert decision’s self-described ‘findings’, including one stating ‘the evaluation of the 2018/2022 Fifa World Cups bidding process is closed for the Fifa ethics committee.’

“Fifa president [Sepp] Blatter recently reaffirmed that ‘finding’ during an interview published by Fifa, stating: ‘Furthermore, there is no change to Judge Eckert’s statement that the investigation into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 Fifa World Cups is concluded.’

“I disagree with the appeal committee’s decision. It now appears that, at least for the foreseeable future, the Eckert decision will stand as the final word on the 2018/2022 Fifa World Cup bidding process.

“Accordingly, effective today, I am resigning as independent chairman of the investigatory chamber of the Fifa ethics committee.”

Garcia’s investigation into the bidding had seen him deliver a 430-page report to Eckert, and Fifa’s executive committee meeting in Marrakesh today and tomorrow are due to vote on whether that should be published but with the names redacted.

Garcia has raised questions over the findings by Eckert, a German judge.

He said: “The issues raised by Mr Eckert’s selection and omission of material from the report, and his additional comments, went far beyond the initial transparency concerns. ”

Garcia also cast doubt on Eckert’s independence, saying: “No independent governance committee, investigator, or arbitration panel can change the culture of an organisation.

“And while the November 13, 2014, Eckert decision made me lose confidence in the independence of the adjudicatory chamber, it is the lack of leadership on these issues within Fifa that leads me to conclude my role in this process is at an end.”

Uefa president Michel Platinidescribed Garcia’s resignation as a “failure” for Fifa.

He said: “Fifa’s ethics committee was created to increase transparency at the organisation, that’s what we wanted, but in the end it has just caused more confusion. Mr Garcia’s resignation is a new failure for Fifa.”

Fifa president Blatter expressed his surprise and said the executive committee will appoint an acting chairman this week with a successor elected by the Fifa Congress in May.

He said: “I am surprised by Mr Garcia’s decision. The work of the ethics committee will nonetheless continue.”