The partnership between the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) and the Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA) marks an important step towards preserving the integrity and transparency of Brazilian football.
Formalized on Wednesday (13), the agreement aims to intensify the fight against crimes such as match-fixing and money laundering, in addition to promoting a culture of integrity at all levels of sport.
SIGA has already partnered with São Paulo football
SIGA, recognized as the world’s largest coalition in the field of integrity in sport, brings with it extensive experience in similar collaborations with both national and international sporting bodies.
The entity has already established partnerships with UEFA, the São Paulo Football Federation, the Liga Portugal, among other leagues and federations.
The president of the CBF, Ednaldo Rodrigues, highlighted the relevance of the agreement signed with SIGA, highlighting the importance of combating different types of crime in football, such as:
- Match-fixing
- Racism
- Money laundry
- Harassment, both among professional players and youth teams
Rodrigues emphasized SIGA’s competence in addressing these issues and its independent action, contributing to making sport increasingly clean and transparent.
“The CBF’s tolerance for any type of crime in football is zero. Let’s work in this way, forming this partnership today and maintaining our partner with FIFA. As a member of FIFA, we will continue to unfurl this flag in all countries.
Today we took a very important step, but it will not be the only one. We will continue working in this direction”, highlighted the president of the CBF.
As part of the agreement, CBF, SIGA and its Latin America subsidiary, SIGA LATIN AMERICA, will cooperate in several key areas, including:
- Preventing and combating all threats to the integrity of football
- Implementation of SIGA Universal Standards on Integrity in Sport
- Implementation of the SIGA Independent Rating and Verification System (SIRVS)
- Implementation of best practices in matters of Good Governance in Sports
- Financial Integrity and Transparency in Sport
- Sports Betting Integrity
- Development and Protection of Youth in Sport
Greater concern against manipulation of results
Therefore, the agreement provides for the organization of joint events, including conferences, workshops and award ceremonies, such as:
- SIGA GRID Awards
- Integrity Awards in Brazilian Football
Thus, there will also be active engagement in the institutional development of SIGA LATIN AMERICA and in the entity’s global reform agenda in Brazil.
The CBF Integrity Unit, represented by Antônio Carlos Basto, highlighted the importance of partnership in combating match-fixing in football matches, one of the entity’s main concerns.
“This is a very important partnership due to the leadership role that SIGA has in this matter of integrity in sport. Therefore, when the CBF created the Integrity Unit, it wanted to be and wants to be at the forefront of combating match-fixing.
The CBF Integrity Unit was designed together with FIFA, together with Conmebol. Today, the manipulation of sports results is a challenge to the integrity of sport, as great as the challenge of doping.
The CBF wants to be at the forefront of this combat process, in partnership with public authorities, as today we already have partnerships here with the Public Ministry, the Federal Police, the Ministry of Justice, and several service providers that also help us in the fight against manipulation of results”, added Basto.
For SIGA, Brazilian football needs to modernize
Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros, Global CEO of SIGA and President and CEO of SIGA LATIN AMERICA, highlighted the importance of Brazilian football on the world stage and the need for modernization and transparency in the sport.
“Brazilian football has an importance in the world that no one can deny. An importance that is not unrelated to its 5 World Cups and the genius with which Pelé, Garrincha, Zico, Sócrates, Ronaldo and so many others elevated football to the status of art.
But Brazilian football can, and should, be more than its past glories. You can, and should, look to the future and realize your potential. To be modern, competitive and sustainable football.
With a reformist vision, future strategy and long-term objectives. A football of Causes, not of Cases. Free from scandals, opportunists and suspicions. Football regulated, managed and administered under the highest standards of good governance and integrity. Capable of deserving the passion of fans and justifying the legitimate expectations of all those who practice it, work and invest in it.
So, signing this agreement is neither an end in itself nor a blank check. On the contrary, it is a specification, a set of responsibilities that we assume with our eyes open. Which links us both – to SIGA and to CBF. And we will achieve it”, concluded Medeiros.
