FIFA: Joseph Blatter "surprised" by the resignation of Michael Garcia

"I am surprised by Michael Garcia’s decision. The work of the Ethics Committee will nonetheless continue and will be a central part of the discussions at the Executive Committee meeting in the next two days (18 and 19/12/2014 in Marrakech, Morocco)," said Joseph Blatter, president of FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association), on 17/12/2014.

Michael J. Garcia, chairman of the Investigatory Chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee and author of a report on the conditions of the bidding process for the 2018 (in Russia) and 2022 (in Qatar) World Cups, announced his resignation on 17/12/2014. The Appeals Committee of FIFA had declared "inadmissible" his appeal against the statements made on this report by Hans-Joachim Eckert, chairman of the Adjudicatory Chamber of the Ethics Committee, on 16/12/2014.

"Pending the election of a new chairman of the Ethics Committee by the FIFA Congress, the FIFA Executive Committee will appoint an acting chairman to serve as a replacement for Mr Garcia," stated FIFA on 17/12/2014.

• The meeting of the FIFA Executive Committee in Marrakech (MAR…