Thursday 18 December 2014 19:15, UK
FIFA vice-president Jim Boyce believes that Michael Garcia’s resignation is ‘damaging’ to world football’s governing body.
Britain’s most senior football official, a member of FIFA’s Executive Committee, is expected to be asked to vote on whether Garcia’s full investigation into the 2018/2022 World Cup bidding process will be handed over to the game’s top officials.
The former US attorney cited a ‘lack of leadership’ at the top of FIFA in a 700-word resignation statement.
“I am totally shocked.” Boyce told Sky Sports News HQ on the eve of FIFA’s two-day Executive Committee meeting in Marrakesh.
“It must be damaging (to FIFA). Michael Garcia is someone of the very highest credibility. He must feel very, very strongly about certain things when it has got to this stage. I have always said that as much of that (Garica) report, as legally possible, should now be put in the public domain.
"I honestly feel that this has got to a stage now where people are absolutely fed up with it. We need to bring it to a conclusion. I await with interest to hear what Domenico Scala and Theo Zwanziger are going to propose. It has got to be brought to a head. Until this situation is completely resolved, and brought to a head, I’m sorry, but FIFA’s reputation is always going to be damaged.”
Boyce was asked whether he agreed with UEFA president Michel Platini, who called Garcia’s resignation a ‘new failure’ for FIFA.
“Of course I agree.” said Boyce. “I have said many times that I am very privileged, for three and a half years, to have been involved in football at FIFA. I have seen many, many good things happen. Here we are again talking about a problem.
Changed
"It would have much better if Michael Garcia had been able to publish what he felt needed to be published. We feel it is time that as much of this report, as is legally possible, has now got to be published. If people have nothing to hide, they shouldn’t be worried about what is going to come out.
"In the last three years, the ExCo has changed dramatically. The Ethics Committee have actually done their work; people have been banned from football, people have been removed from football.”
Boyce declined to say whether he thought FIFA president Sepp Blatter should quit over the chief investigator’s resignation.
“That’s a completely different matter; I’m not getting involved in that.” said Boyce. “I have said on many occasions there are 209 associations in FIFA. Sepp Blatter has said that if someone wishes to stand against him, they can stand against him, and then it is up to the members of FIFA to decide who should be the president of FIFA. That’s an issue that, personally, I don’t think I should get involved in because the Congress of FIFA will decide that.
"There are a lot of very good people at FIFA. I finish my term of office on May 29. I’ve seen a lot of the good work FIFA do. You look at the Football for Hope centres, for example, which have been built in various places around the world; you see the money that was donated recently for the Ebola crisis. There’s an awful of good things being doing by a lot of good people on FIFA.
"I hope that the members of the Executive Committee will be united and will all rally around and bring this brought to an end. The only way it is going to be brought to an end is if the report, as much as legally possibly, can be published in full.”
When questioned on Thursday over whether Garcia's resignation had been damaging to FIFA, Blatter refused to comment saying: "I have given an official statement by FIFA and by the FIFA president. For the time being, I have nothing to add. I just say I was very much surprised. Thank you."
