A world Against Corruption

Match Fixing

Anna Kyprianou

anna.kyprianou@hotmail.com

Structure

•Identify the problem

•Current legislation

•Proposals

•Discussion

Why someone will fix a match?

•MONEY

•Betting (Agents, Officials, Athletes)

• Earn salary

•Get bonuses

• “Under the table” agreements

Who can fix a match?

Match officials

• Oleg Oriekhov v/ UEFA (CAS2010/A/2172)

Ukrainian football referee who had a life ban from UEFA upheld by an arbitral panel of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

“It is the first case of its kind in European football involving a match official as distinct from a player or coach. It therefore has an importance beyond that to the disputant parties.” - CAS Panel

Club officials

• Turkey: 93 officials and players have been indicted on charges ranging from match-fixing to the payment of bribes in relation to 19 matches in July 2011

31 officials and players were jailed pending the trial which began on February 14, 2012.

Political Movements: A match-fixing law, driven by the clubs themselves, came into effect in April 2011 and set jail sentences for individuals found guilty of match-fixing at 12 years.

However, the Turkish Parliament has voted through amendments which reduce the maximum sentence to only 3 years.

This was against the wishes of President Abdullah Gul who felt it necessary to resign on January 31

Athletes • Pakistan international cricketers Salman Butt,

Mohammed Asif and Mohammed Amir, and agent Mazhar Majeed

• Accused of offences in relation to spot fixing during the international test match between England and Pakistan at Lord’s

• No balls were bowled at specific points during England’s innings.

• Criminal charges for conspiracy were brought against the four defendants under the Prevention of Corruption Act 1906, Criminal Law Act 1977 and Gambling Act 2005.

Former athletes

• Ten people, including two former players and a former assistant coach at the University of San Diego

• Indicted in connection with a scheme to fix college basketball games since 2008.

• Charged in the federal grand jury indictment with scheming to fix University of San Diego Toreros games by bribing players and then betting on the games in Las Vegas (where gambling on sport is legal).

Current Situtation

•FIFA

•UEFA

•Cyprus Football Association

FIFA - INTERPOL• Main aims:

• To educate and train key actors in football on how to recognize, resist and report attempts to corrupt or fix matches;

• To better prepare law enforcement on how to investigate and cooperate in corruption or match-fixing related cases.

UEFA Statutes (Edition 2012)

• Pt. 7 of the definition clause [Fair Play]:

• “7. ‘Fair play’ means acting according to ethical principles which, in particular, oppose the concept of sporting success at any price, promote integrity and equal opportunities for all competitors, and emphasise respect of the personality and worth of everyone involved in a sporting event.”

UEFA Disciplinary Regulations (Edition 2012)

• Article 5bis [Integrity of matches and competitions]:

• “1 All persons bound by UEFA's rules and regulations must refrain from any behaviour that damages or could damage the integrity of matches and competitions organised by UEFA and they must cooperate fully with UEFA at all times in its efforts to combat such behaviour.

• Article 38(5) [Investigative scope and procedure]:

• “5 If a breach of Article 5bis of these regulations is suspected, individuals and bodies bound by UEFA's rules and regulations must provide the disciplinary inspector or his nominee, for a limited time, with any data recording and/or storage device (text, image, sound. etc.) that could contain data which would confirm these suspicions.”

UEFA Organizational Regulations (Edition 2012)

• Article 74 [Mandate contracts]:

• “1 Listed match officers or instructors conclude a two-year mandate contract with UEFA undertaking to: […]

• b) notify UEFA immediately if they are targets of attempted bribery;

• c) acknowledge and accept the obligations laid down in these regulations and in the directives issued by the General Secretary.”

Memorandum of Understanding

• Collaboration between Europol and UEFA

• Entered into force on 27 May 2014

• To establish a mutual framework for cooperation against the phemonena of match-fixing of football in Europe, to improve mutual coordination and to ensure greater complementarity

• Exchange of knowledge and support

• Exchange of information

• Mutual coordination

Cyprus Football Association

• 4/11/2014 – Decisions taken with the aim to fight match fixing.

• In the case that UEFA suspects a football club for more than 2 times in the same period, for suspicious betting activity – the Club will not receive any sponsorship from the CFA for the next football period.

• This decision is into force from the football period 2014-2015

More developments

•Education of athletes

•Government’s Involvement for more severe sanctions

•Acknowledge the public of the dangers

The Code

1.Be Smart: know the rules.2. Be Safe: never bet on your sport.3.Be Careful: never share sensitive information.4.Be Clean: never fix an event.5.Be Open: tell someone if you are approached.

THANK YOU !!!