Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - The appeal lodged by Michael Garcia, chairman of FIFA's investigatory chamber, against the statement of independent ethics committee chairman Hans-Joachim Eckert is not admissible, world soccer's ruling body said on Tuesday.

The statement about the report on the inquiry into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups does not constitute a decision and is therefore neither legally binding nor appealable, FIFA said.

World soccer's governing body was plunged into chaos last month when Eckert said there were no grounds to reopen the controversial bidding process which led to Russia being given the 2018 finals and Qatar the 2022 tournament.

Allegations of corruption and bribery surrounding the process have accompanied FIFA and the host nations ever since.

Shortly after after Eckert's statement, former U.S. prosecutor Garcia, who led the investigation over an 18-month period, said Eckert's 42-page statement had misrepresented his 430-page report and that he would take the case to the FIFA appeals committee.

FIFA, which has since confirmed Garcia's appeal, has faced growing pressure to publish the full report.

*Reuters