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| AFP |
An important cooperation agreement was signed at the Home of FIFA in Zurich following a meeting between the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) officials and representatives of FIFA’s security team and FIFA’s subsidiary Early Warning System (EWS). The agreement aims to establish a joint framework for promoting and protecting the integrity of football matches organised under the auspices of CONCACAF and to set forth the conditions for the provision of a specialised monitoring service by EWS to CONCACAF.
This agreement comes as a result of the parties’ recognition that the prevention of match manipulation and the protection of football’s integrity can only be successful through proactive cooperation within the framework of the global FIFA Integrity Initiative.
FIFA and CONCACAF agreed that effective measures must be taken through education, prevention, detection and investigation of match-fixing. This agreement paves the way for a revamped and tailor made approach to protect football competitions in the region, establishing clear and secure protocols for the active sharing of information, as well as the regional implementation of strategies and programmes to be conducted with the member associations at national level.
Speaking about the signing of today’s agreement, FIFA’s Head of Security Ralf Mutschke explained: “We had an excellent cooperation with CONCACAF in the fight against match manipulation. Now we are deepening this cooperation by providing a wide range of measures to safeguard the integrity of the game. Our aim is to build a global football alliance against match-fixing.”
CONCACAF will have access to the expertise and services of EWS, which will monitor and analyse the international betting markets around the CONCACAF competitions and provide comprehensive reports to CONCACAF and FIFA, as well as providing educational seminars and training courses to support capacity building in the field of integrity in the region.
CONCACAF General Secretary Philippe Moggio said that the signing of the agreement was crucial: “CONCACAF’s agreement with FIFA and EWS reflects our vision and commitment to prevent, detect and address match-fixing in the region. Establishing a platform for cooperation between stakeholders including sports governing bodies, federations and public authorities is crucial to protect the integrity of football.”
The meeting confirmed FIFA’s commitment to promoting integrity and preventing all methods or practices which might jeopardise the integrity of football worldwide, working alongside all confederations and member associations who share this commitment to safeguarding the game.
More information about the Early Warning System