Judge: Publishing FIFA report not possible

The judge who will rule on the investigation into World Cup bidding has said the full report will not be published, despite numerous figures in football calling for it to be made public.

Hans-Joachim Eckert, head of the FIFA ethics committee adjudicatory chamber, said only selected parts of the report would be published to protect people's "personal rights".

The report's author, American attorney Michael Garcia, on Monday said it should be published because FIFA needed to embrace transparency.

Several FIFA members, including UEFA president Michel Platini, have also called for publication.

But Eckert said that would not be possible.

In an interview on FIFA website he said: "We have to respect the personal rights of the people mentioned in the report, which in the case of full publication of the report would in all likelihood not be possible."

Garcia had criticised the culture of secrecy at FIFA and said his investigation into the bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, won by Russia and Qatar respectively, would help the world governing body embrace reform.

But Eckert claimed even Garcia does not want the full report published.

Eckert said he will release a statement in mid-November which "will contain an overview of the investigation report, a summary of the main findings, conclusions and recommendations of the report, as well as a brief evaluation of the same".

He added: "Michael Garcia has never said that the report should be 100 per cent published. He merely said that the 'appropriate' publication of his report should be authorised. The deputy chairman of the adjudicatory chamber and I now have the task of drawing up this appropriate form for publication."