Former FBI investigator and FIFA Chief Investigator Michael Garcia, who is leading a probe into the "controversial bidding process" for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, almost fell victim of a plot from some FIFA execs to "defenestrate him from the organization's ethics committee," according to Owen Gibson of the London GUARDIAN. Michael Garcia, who heads the investigatory chamber of FIFA's ethics committee, "has been charged with examining the chaotic dual bidding race for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments, awarded to Russia and Qatar respectively" in Dec. '10. Garcia turned up unannounced in Zurich last week to speak to those members of the exec committee "who were around during the controversial process." Some "were believed to be unsettled by his presence." Informal conversations "took place among some unnamed executives on the fringes of the meeting in an attempt to remove Garcia from his position." FIFA VP Jim Boyce, Britain's representative on the 24-person exec committee, said he was aware of the plot, but added that "it never made it as far as the executive committee boardroom." Boyce: "It is something that did go on but I don't know who was involved. There was a bit of informal chit chat" (GUARDIAN, 3/25).
NEARLY SABOTAGED: REUTERS' Mike Collett wrote FIFA's new reform process "came within hours of being sabotaged from within the organisation last week." Members of FIFA's exec committee said that "they would have considered their positions had the investigation into FIFA's affairs by Garcia been halted before he had completed his work." A number of reform-minded members confirmed that "they stopped the plan before it was even discussed in full session, after being approached in the corridors between sessions of the executive committee meetings at FIFA's headquarters in Zurich." There is no suggestion FIFA President Sepp Blatter played any role in the plan to stop what he has widely acclaimed as FIFA's new "transparent" reform process (REUTERS, 3/25). In London, UEFA President Michel Platini, who was also spoken to by Garcia, "is thought to have been made aware of the attempted coup indirectly." The Frenchman, who has openly admitted voting for Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup, said on Tuesday, “I condemn any possible attempt to derail the investigation. I want it to go to the very end.” Fellow exec committee member Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein added, “I am very happy that Michael Garcia will continue in his work. There were some questions raised about the necessity of having an Independent Ethics Committee but, to be honest, I think that idea was stopped." Another senior FIFA source said that stopping the Garcia investigation would have been “the biggest own-goal FIFA have ever done" (TELEGRAPH, 3/25).
