FIFA rules out full publication of ethics probe

FIFA says it is "not legally possible" to publish the full report into alleged corruption in the bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

FIFA ethics chairman Hans-Joachim Eckert says publishing prosecutor Michael Garcia's report in full "would actually put the FIFA ethics committee and FIFA itself in a very difficult situation legally."

FIFA has been under pressure to release Garcia's report into the bid process that led to the awarding of the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 tournament to Qatar.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter has said his organization is bound by its ethics code to keep it secret.

Eckert says "we have to respect the personal rights of the people mentioned in the report, which in the case of full publication of the report would in all likelihood not be possible."