A FIFA report investigating the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups made shockwaves in football on Thursday.
Here is an account of how events unfolded following the release of a 42-page report by German judge Hans-Joachim Eckert, chairman of the adjudicatory chamber of FIFA's independent ethics committee, in his ruling on Michael Garcia's investigation.
Wednesday afternoon (GMT) FIFA announces the initial findings of the investigation into the bidding process for the next two World Cups will be published on Thursday morning, with England expected to come in for some criticism for the attempt to woo former FIFA vice-president Jack Warner.
Thursday morning, 9:05 a.m. (GMT) The report is released and England are indeed condemned for rules violations in their bid for the 2018 tournament, but Russia and Qatar are effectively confirmed as hosts for 2018 and 2022 respectively, stating any rule breaches by them were "of very limited scope."
9:22 a.m. (GMT) Conservative MP Damian Collins hits back at the report, labelling it a "whitewash." Collins, who has campaigned for FIFA reform and in 2011 used Parliamentary privilege to make allegations that bribes helped secure Qatar the tournament, said those allegations remained unanswered. He had previously urged the Serious Fraud Office to reconsider its decision not to investigate allegations of FIFA corruption during the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
9:51 a.m. (GMT) The chief of Russia's 2018 World Cup organising committee, Alexey Sorokin, says the country has nothing to hide, despite reportedly failing to provide copies of all their emails from the bid organisation on the basis that their computer equipment has since been scrapped. "We don't have any particular emotions because we were always confident that there could be nothing which would come out from this investigation," he said in an interview with Sky Sports News HQ.
9:52 a.m. (GMT) Britain's FIFA vice-president Jim Boyce says he hopes lessons would be learned, telling Press Association Sport: "Personally I am pleased that the report has been issued by Mr Eckert and the findings would appear to confirm that no further action should be taken on the decisions."
10:29 a.m. (GMT) The Football Association rejects ''any criticism'' of England's bid, with a spokesman saying: "We conducted a transparent bid and, as the report demonstrates with its reference to the England bid team's 'full and valuable co-operation,' willingly complied with the investigation. We maintain that transparency and co-operation around this entire process from all involved is crucial to its credibility."
12:16 p.m. (GMT) FIFA's chief ethics investigator Michael Garcia announces he will appeal against the findings of his investigation into World Cup bidding, saying the report contains "numerous materially incomplete and erroneous representations of the facts and conclusions."
12:33 p.m. (GMT) Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa backs the Qatar 2022 World Cup following the FIFA statement, saying: ''I am satisfied that Qatar has been absolved of any misconduct in their bid for the 2022 World Cup."
12:57 p.m. (GMT) Boyce says the Garcia development increases the case for his report to be published, saying to Press Association Sport: ''I await with interest to see what further disclosures will be made. I have always said as much of the report as it is legally possible to publish should be made public."