Football Legend Calls on FIFA to Release Garcia Report

(ATR) FIFA is coming under increasing pressure to publish Michael Garcia's report into alleged corruption in the bidding processes for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups after Franz Beckenbauer backed calls for its release.

The 1974 World Cup winner was the first speaker on the second day of the ICSS Securing Sport 2014 conference at London’s Lancaster House on Tuesday.

Six FIFA ExCo members have previously called for the report to be made public as well as Garcia, FIFA's chief investigator. The 430-page dossier is now in the hands of FIFA ethics judge Justice Joachim Eckert, who is set to make his first public announcement on the report next month.

Beckenbauer was on the ExCo during the 2018/2022 bidding contest, and urged publication of the report to quell recent negative publicity.

"While there is speculation and no decision being taken, rumours are going around and that’s negative," he said.

"If the report is finalised and submitted it should be published as quickly as possible - it should be assessed and give closure. Otherwise there will be rumours and that’s bad.

"I don’t see any reason why it should not be published but that’s a decision for FIFA. It’s up to FIFA to decide. But personally, I believe there’s nothing to hide and if there’s nothing to hide you can publish it and devolve it."

FIFA maintain that it should not publish the report because of confidentiality agreements with the dozens of football officials interviewed. However, that has drawn criticism with some – including speakers at the conference on Monday – calling for president Sepp Blatter to resign over the controversy.

Blatter has stated his intention to stand for a fifth term as president at next May's election, and Beckenbauer had no objection to the 78-year-old staying in charge of world football’s governing body.

"If he’s of the opinion he is fit enough; I’m sure he will have considered his reasons and talked to his friends and medical advisors because to be FIFA president requires a lot of work and a lot of effort," Beckenbauer told the Securing Sport conference.

"If he’s up for it, he should stand; why not? Whether it’s right or wrong, nobody can answer. It’s up to himself. If he feels up to it and wants to stand then we will have to see next year what the results are."

Beckenbauer also reinforced his opinion that the controversial Qatar 2022 World Cup should be played in the northern hemisphere winter.

The Bayern Munich president said he "visited" the Gulf nation several times this summer and that it was "impossible" to play football in the sizzling heat.

"I was surprised Qatar won," he admitted. "In the summer it’s not possible to play football there, despite the Qataris developing a way of cooling the stadiums.

"Is it necessary to make such energy when you can play in the winter in perfect playing conditions? I think it should be played in the winter."

On the wider topic of the major challenges facing football, Beckenbauer was particularly concerned with safety in modern stadiums and football violence affecting the future of the sport.

While conceding that his native Germany hadn’t seen spectator problems to the extent that England did in the 1980s, he called for a general improvement in "security in the stadiums".

"There are those dangers," he said. "If you don’t feel safe in a stadium you don’t go. If we see those problems, we must make sure to stop them right from the beginning.

"The associations, the federations, the clubs, the police; they all need to work shoulder to shoulder to protect football."

Written by Christian Radnedge

20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.