FIFA World Cup corruption report: FBI to "step up investigation" following Michael Garcia statement

The FBI have been investigating for three years but will now press on after investigator Garcia revealed that FIFA's report contains "erroneous representations"

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Aaron FlanaganSports Editor

17:28, 13 NOV 2014
Updated17:48, 13 NOV 2014

Accusation: Michael Garcia said that FIFA's report into corruption was not accurate (Image: Alexander Hassenstein - FIFA)

The FBI will reportedly press ahead with their investigation into senior leaders of FIFA after chaos broke loose following the release of an independent report earlier on Thursday.

The game's governing body announced that they were closing the case of alleged corruption into the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding process.

FIFA revealed that their investigation found no corruption and has no reason to reopen the bidding process, but Michael Garcia, the man hired to conduct the individual probe said that the final report "contains numerous materially incomplete and erroneous representations".

And now CNN International report that the FBI will be step up their efforts to look into possible corruption in the bidding process.

LIVE UPDATES available by clicking here as FIFA release their corruption report

Findings could result in charges against some of the senior figures at FIFA, U.S. law enforcement officials said.

FBI agents based in New York have been investigating the case for three years and will benefit from the findings by Garcia.

The FBI declined to comment to CNN on the case.

Garcia, a former New York State Attorney and White House staffer, issued a statement which repudiated the claims made on his behalf.

The American said: "Today’s decision by the Chairman of the Adjudicatory Chamber contains numerous materially incomplete and erroneous representations of the facts and conclusions detailed in the Investigatory Chamber’s report. I intend to appeal this decision to the FIFA Appeal Committee."

Garcia's intervention only added to the sense of chaos which has enveloped FIFA for the past four years as allegations of endemic corruption have gripped the organisation.

FIFA's press office responded to Garcia's comments on Thursday afternoon.

A statement read: "We take note of reports mentioning a statement issued by Michael Garcia, however, for the time being FIFA has not been officially notified of this statement and is therefore not in a position to further comment on this matter at this stage," it reads.

"We will follow up in due time."

Earlier today, the FA responded to FIFA's accusations over the integrity of their World Cup bid team.

FIFA blasted the FA for their bid team's behaviour , claiming they "undermined the integrity of the World Cup bidding process".

An FA spokesman said: "We note the FIFA Ethics Committee has today published a 42-page report in relation to the bidding processes for the FIFA World Cups in 2018 and 2022.

"We were not given any prior notice of the report before publication. We do not accept any criticism regarding the integrity of England’s bid or any of the individuals involved.

"We conducted a transparent bid and, as the report demonstrates with its reference to the England bid team’s ‘full and valuable cooperation’, willingly complied with the investigation.

"We maintain that transparency and cooperation around this entire process from all involved is crucial to its credibility."

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