The man who conducted the two-year inquiry on behalf of FIFA, looking into allegations of corruption during bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups has said the recently released report "contains numerous materially incomplete and erroneous representations of the facts and conclusions".
Michael Garcia, the US attorney who conducted the 18-month investigation, issued a statement less than four hours after the report’s release in which he made the comments.
The 42-page report, which cleared both Russia and Qatar of any wrongdoing while lambasting the England 2018 bid, was declared by FIFA as offering “a degree of closure” on the matter, while UK Conservative MP Damian Collins, who in 2011 used parliamentary privilege to make the allegations that bribes helped secure Qatar the tournament, called the report a “whitewash”, stating it was an attempt to con people that there has been a full and independent investigation when there has not been.”
FIFA's statement said the matter was now closed, but Garcia’s comments will refuel the ongoing debate about the validity of the bidding process for both the 2018 and 2022 competitions.
