Last Friday (27), Santos held an educational lecture on combating match-fixing and fraud related to sports betting. The main objective was to warn about the risks and procedures that athletes should adopt in practice in case of being approached by recruiters.
The event was aimed at athletes, coaching staff and employees from the youth teams, both male and female. The speaker was Tiago Horta, Head of Integrity at Genius Sports, an international company specializing in technology and monitoring of sports data.
Accredited by FIFA, Horta explained to participants how manipulation schemes work and the serious consequences that this type of involvement can bring.
“I showed them why they are at the center of the problem, why these situations happen and what they should do to protect themselves. It’s a question of risk and consequences: losing your career or even going to prison,” Horta said.
“In the face of any approach offering undue advantage, the athlete must report it. This is the best way to avoid problems in the future,” he warned.
Santos’ objective is to present knowledge on the subject to athletes
Santos vice-president Fernando Bonavides highlighted the importance of the event: “It was a very important afternoon for the club. Youth players and employees had the opportunity to hear from a FIFA-accredited representative on an important and current topic. This is also essential so that they can pass on the knowledge to their families or guardians.”
Tiago Horta also reinforced the role of clubs in this awareness-raising process: “Talking to athletes about match-fixing is essential. We are seeing more cases, more careers ended because of this. It is a mission for us, carried out with dedication, and also important to protect future generations.”
Genius Sports is one of five entities that signed Cooperation Agreements with the Ministry of Sports on May 14, aimed at combating illicit practices in the sector. The partnerships aim to promote preventive actions, share qualified data and offer technological support to strengthen integrity in Brazilian sports.
The initiative seeks to align the country with international best practices and ensure a safer and fairer environment for athletes, clubs, fans and regulated betting operators.
