Major Fifa sponsor Coca-Cola says it will not push world football’s governing body to publish Michael Garcia’s report into corruption within the organisation.
Fifa president Sepp Blatter remains opposed to making public the findings of Garcia’s investigation into Fifa corruption and impropriety relating to the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosting rights, set to be formally submitted in November.
A growing number of voices at the top of the game - including Uefa president Michel Platini and former executive committee member Franz Beckenbauer - want to see the report published in the name of transparency, but Coca-Cola’s director of football management Amber Steele insists her organisation will not use its influence to exert pressure on Blatter to change his mind.
"We believe Fifa will come out and say 'This is what we’re doing', and that's what we want them to do," she told reporters at the Leaders Sport Business summit at Stamford Bridge.
"We want them to be able to tell us what's happened and how they're going to move forward. That's how we want them to be transparent."
Fifa’s marketing director Thierry Weil also hit out at the British media, arguing it is premature to attack the governing body's lack of transparency and reaction of key sponsors before Garcia's findings are submitted next month.
"The report will be given in the beginning of November, so let's wait until then," he insisted. "After that I'm happy for you to say Fifa was transparent or not.
"But until then, is it fair that you say 'Fifa is not transparent' and put a sponsor in a situation to get them to say something, and tomorrow this will be 'Coke is not happy with Fifa'? Let's wait and criticise once the facts have come out."
