AFC head wants part publication of Garcia report, backs Qatar

MANILA — Asian football chief Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said any non-confidential aspects of the report into the bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups should be made public as he defended Qatar and FIFA in the wake of criticism.

FIFA has been heavily criticised following a report by US attorney Michael Garcia into alleged corruption in the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar.

Russia and Qatar deny any wrongdoing and German Judge Hans-Joachim Eckert's summary of Garcia's investigation said there were no grounds to reopen the bidding process, but Garcia swiftly appealed to FIFA's appeals committee saying Eckert's statement contained misrepresentations.

Afterwards, Germany's Football League (DFL) chief launched a scathing attack on FIFA, saying coordinated action was needed from Europe to reform world footballa's governing body, while the head of England's failed bid for 2018 called on the continent to boycott the two tournaments.

Several FIFA members have asked for the Garcia report to be published in full, but Sheikh Salman said confidentiality agreements in the 430-page report had to be respected.

"I don't mind whatever is in the report to be out. But if there are a few things that are under the confidentiality agreement then we have to respect that," the Bahraini royal told a small group of reporters in Manila on Saturday.

"It's been given to the audit and compliance committee to look at, so let them look at it, and if they decide what to publish from it, it's fine by me.

"FIFA is doing what it can, there isn't a perfect organisation, you will always have issues or problems in this game whether it is FIFA or the AFC or UEFA.

"So I think this is something normal, but this is the price you pay if you have transparency and if you issue all these decisions that are made and it just shows they are doing something about it."

Sheikh Salman was elected in May last year, becoming the first permanent AFC president since Qatari Mohammed Bin Hammam, who was banned for life by FIFA for vote buying in the 2011 FIFA presidential election.

He said he hoped the investigation by Garcia would help draw the line under the question about Qatar hosting the 2022 World Cup finals as the Middle East looks forward to welcoming the tournament for the first time.

"Definitely we have to put that behind us. If there are some wrong doings by individuals, which I think the judiciary bodies have looked at, it's against the individuals.

"But you can't look into the bid unless the organisation has done something wrong."