UEFA and ESSA join forces to combat match-fixing

UEFA has teamed up with the European Sports Security Association (ESSA) in an effort to eradicate match-fixing across Europe, by signing an information-sharing agreement on Monday.

Last year, UEFA President, Aleksander Čeferin, said that the fight against match-fixing is one of his major priorities.

ESSA alert platform

Under the agreement, ESSA and its 25 leading sports betting operators in Europe will support UEFA’s efforts to identify attempted match-fixing operations.

According to the agreement, ESSA alert platform, which is dedicated to monitoring, reporting and tracking suspicious betting activity, will be used in order to identify match manipulation.

According to Khalid Ali, Secretary General of ESSA, his association “has played a key role in coordinating and focusing the licensed, regulated betting industry’s zero-tolerance approach to the threat of betting-related match-fixing in sport.”

“This agreement is further proof of our ongoing commitment to helping all sports authorities maintain the highest levels of integrity.”

UEFA to eradicate match-fixing

Talking about the agreement, UEFA’s managing director of integrity, Emilio García, said that football must be safeguard from manipulation.

“We are delighted that ESSA will be teaming up with UEFA in our mission to eradicate the manipulation of matches from football, and the exchange of information between trusted partners is a key milestone in this fight”, said Garcia.

“Match-fixing is a disease that threatens football’s soul, and the game must be safeguarded from those who seek to profit from it by criminal means.”