Michael Garcia resigns in protest as FIFA ethics prosecutor

The lawyer who led the investigation into alleged corruption that clouded the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids has stepped down in protest over the handling of his report.

The Associated Press quotes a statement from Garcia in which he cites a "lack of leadership" as the reason for his decision, along with his losing faith in the integrity of his committee colleague, Joachim Eckert.

The decision comes one day after FIFA's appeal panel rejected Garcia's challenge of Eckert's summary of his initial 430-page investigation into the bidding process.