PFSC match-fixing resolution

The Professional Football Strategy Council (PFSC) meeting in Monaco today agreed to step up the fight against the growing menace of match-fixing in European football and approved the following resolution.

In particular, the Professional Football Strategy Council:
• recognises and understands the gravity of the match-fixing threat,
• welcomes the steps undertaken by UEFA, FIFA and other football bodies so far to fight match-fixing,
• believes that fighting match-fixing needs education, prevention and deterrents,
• invites UEFA to intensify and extend its education programme in co-operation with associations, clubs, leagues and players' unions on both European and national level,
• urges the political authorities to engage with UEFA and national football bodies to adopt legislation, which must be enforced by the law enforcement authorities, to protect the integrity of football competitions and recognise the rights and responsibilities of competition organisers on betting activities, and
• demands a policy of zero tolerance towards all those involved in match-fixing.

In addition to the above resolution, the PFSC received an update from Pierluigi Collina, UEFA's Chief Refereeing Officer, on the efforts being made to improve refereeing, discussed players' agents, reviewed UEFA club competitions and the changes made in 2009/10 and analysed the issue of social dialogue, where good progress was made.

The PFSC comprises elected representatives of the four main stakeholder groups involved in European professional football: the clubs, via the European Club Association (ECA); the leagues, via the European Professional Football Leagues (EPFL); the players, via FIFPro Division Europe; and UEFA, as the governing body responsible for European football. The body discusses issues of strategic importance for professional football in Europe and advises the UEFA Executive Committee accordingly.