SEPP BLATTER rejected calls yesterday to publish Fifa’s report into alleged World Cup bidding corruption.

Fifa independent investigator Michael Garcia has joined the clamour for his report into the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids to be released to the public.

But Blatter and Fifa legal chief Marco Villiger said publishing the report would tear asunder the confidentiality guaranteed to the 75 witnesses.

“We are bound by the regulations which have been accepted and the report of the investigatory chamber first has to go to the adjudicatory chamber and we know now at the beginning of November (the chairman) will be ready to give his report,” Blatter quipped.

The decision now rests with German judge Hans-Joachim Eckert who is considering the report and will announce his findings in November. Eckert has previously told BBC News that the document would “never” be made public.

Villiger added: “The principle of confidentiality is enshrined in the (ethics) code and if not perhaps certain witnesses or whistleblowers might not co-operate to the same extent if confidentiality is not guaranteed.

“It is up to the adjudicatory committee to decide, not the executive committee, if the confidentiality guaranteed to 75 witnesses will be lifted.”

And 78-year-old Blatter confirmed that he would “respect the demands and pleas of different associations and federations” to serve a fifth term as Fifa president if elected again in May.

Yesterday’s Fifa executive committee meeting also decided to ban third-party ownership of players.

The system is already banned in some countries including Britain but is common in South America where most players have their economic rights owned by agents or other parties, who take a big chunk of any transfer fee.

There will be a transition period of three or four years before the ban kicks in.

Blatter refused to clarify whether he had handed back a £16,400 watch to the Brazilian FA, as demanded by the ethics committee.

Many of the 65 bigwigs who received the flash Parmigianis have protested that the watches were just harmless gifts.