CBF, ICSS sign cooperation agreement to protect integrity in football

London: The Brazilian Football Confederation (Confedera o Brasileira de Futebol, CBF) and the International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS) signed t...

London: The Brazilian Football Confederation (Confederação Brasileira de Futebol, CBF) and the International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS) signed today, March 22, 2024, a landmark cooperation agreement to protect Brazilian football from match-fixing and other threats to its integrity.

CBF President Ednaldo Rodrigues Gomes publicly disclosed last year his plans designed with FIFA and CONMEBOL to work with the ICSS and other stakeholders as well as his determination to put an end to any threat to sport integrity in an open letter addressed to the President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, paving the path towards the implementation of a massive national plan to preserve and promote the integrity of football, asking Brazil to sign the Macolin Convention and establish a National Platform as the key national hub dedicated to the co-ordination of the fight against competition manipulation.

As a part of this plan and aligned with FIFA and CONMEBOL, CBF has requested the ICSS to work together on the development of CBF overarching strategy to combat match-fixing, and especially on a national educational and training programmes for the benefit of the Brazilian football athletes, officials, leagues, clubs at all levels and the Confederation itself.

The Cooperation Agreement also envisages activities at the grassroots level to instill the values of football within youth and children, as well as the development of an awareness campaign involving influential Brazilian football players and football legends.

Moreover, the agreement set the basis for Brazil as an incubator for best practices that can foster joint international cooperation activities in support of other federations and nations willing to strengthen their sport integrity systems.