Brazil football chief hails cooperation with Sport Integrity Global Alliance, calling it an ‘important step’
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) and Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA), the world’s largest coalition in the field of sport integrity, formalised a cooperation agreement for the integrity of Brazilian football.
This watershed agreement was formalised on March 13, in Rio de Janeiro.
CBF joins SIGA in placing good governance and integrity at the top of their agenda, initiating a comprehensive and in-depth process of reforms aimed at enhancing the integrity, reputation, and credibility of football in the South American nation, noted for winning the FIFA World Cup five times.
Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) president Ednaldo Rodrigues described the agreement as an important partnership to fight against all types of criminality affecting football, such as match-fixing, money laundering, racism, and harassment.
“SIGA is the world’s largest institution in sport integrity. They operate independently, always ensuring that sport becomes cleaner and more transparent. That’s what CBF is pursuing, too,” said Rodrigues.
“SIGA will work with the integrity unit at CBF, which is engaged with all the major institutions in the world.”
He added that CBF has a zero-tolerance stance for any type of criminal activity in football.
“Our work will be based on this partnership, and we will keep doing what we have always done, also in conjunction with FIFA. As a FIFA member, we will continue to fly this flag.
“Today, we took a very important step, and it will not be the only one. We will share more relevant news and partnerships in the near future,” he added.
SIGA has partnered with various international and national sports organisations over the years. They include UEFA, the European Rugby League, the European Aquatics, the International Chess Federation, and the Portuguese Professional Football League (Liga Portugal). Twentytwo13 is SIGA’s sole media partner from Asia.
As part of the agreement, CBF, SIGA, and its regional subsidiary SIGA Latin America, will cooperate in several key areas, namely:
Preventing and fighting against all threats to the integrity of football.
Implementing SIGA’s Universal Standards on Sport Integrity and SIGA’s Independent Rating and Verification System.
Sharing of knowledge, and implementing best practices in terms of good governance in sport, financial integrity, and transparency in sport, sports betting integrity, and youth development and protection in sport.
Preventing and fighting against racism, violence, and all forms of discrimination, as well as the promotion of gender equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility.
Organising events, including conferences, workshops, and awards ceremonies, such as the SIGA GRID Awards and the Brazilian Soccer Integrity Awards.
Active engagement in the institutional development of SIGA Latin America, and in SIGA’s global reform agenda in Brazil, promoting cordial relations and cooperation with all relevant organisations, authorities, and partners in the sector.
SIGA Global chief executive officer, Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros, said Brazilian football has worldwide significance that no one can deny.
“This significance is not unrelated to its five FIFA World Cup titles and the genius with which Pelé, Garrincha, Zico, Sócrates, Ronaldo, and many others, elevated football into an art form,” said de Medeiros.
“Brazilian football, however, can and should be more than its past glories. It can, and must look to the future and realise its potential.”
He added that football must be regulated, managed, and administered under the highest standards of good governance and integrity.
“Brazil can no longer wait – this is what I have been hearing from everyone I have spoken with. The window of opportunity is narrow, and there is, undoubtedly, a lot of work ahead. That is why we are here, kicking off with the signing of this cooperation agreement with the CBF and its president, whom I congratulate for taking this important step forward.
“The signing of this agreement is not an end in itself, nor a blank check. On the contrary, it is a set of duties, a set of responsibilities that we embrace, that binds SIGA and CBF. We will materialise it. And it starts now,” he added.
Main image by Joilson Marconne/CBF
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