FA response to FIFA report into 2018/2022 bidding process

Thursday 13 Nov 2014
The report was published on Thursday 13 November

The FA has today responded to the statement from the Chairman of the Adjudicatory Chambers of the FIFA Ethics Committee on the report of the inquiry into the 2018/2022 FIFA 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.

“We also note that after a lengthy investigatory process and assessment, the report has concluded that the ‘potentially problematic facts and circumstances identified by the report regarding the England 2018 bid were, all in all, not suited to compromise the integrity of the FIFA World Cup 2018/22 bidding process as a whole’.”

By FA Staff