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BERLIN — Uefa would have to consider leaving Fifa if the world football’s governing body does not publish in full American attorney Michael Garcia’s report into bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, says German Football League President Reinhard Rauball.Rauball tells Kicker magazine he also wants Fifa to divulge what was not evaluated in Garcia’s report, and “whether it was justified to leave these things out. That has to be made public. It’s the only way Fifa can restore some of its lost credibility.”
Rauball was responding to German judge Joachim Eckert’s ruling that while there were concerns over aspects of the Russia and Qatar winning bids to host the World Cup in 2018 and 2022, respectively, it “was far from reaching any threshold” to run a re-vote for the tournaments — a ruling that was harshly contested by Garcia.
Garcia indicated he will appeal Eckert’s decision to close the case, saying it was based on “materially incomplete and erroneous”
interpretation of his own findings — 430 pages of investigative work sealed by Fifa from public scrutiny.
Rauball warned if Garcia’s findings are not published “and this crisis isn’t resolved in a credible manner, you have to maybe also talk about the question of whether you’re actually still well-served by Fifa.”
Asked about possible consequences, Rauball replied, “One option, which would’ve to be seriously considered, is certainly whether Uefa should leave Fifa.” He described Eckert’s ruling as a “communicative meltdown,” and said it “shakes the foundations of Fifa in a way I never experienced before.” – AFP.
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