Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, is now home to an important international conference as part of the IntegriSport 3.0 project, aimed at preventing match fixing and protecting sporting integrity.
With the support of the Bulgarian Ministry of Youth and Sports and the CSCF Sports Integrity Foundation, representatives from government, law enforcement, sports federations and players’ unions gathered to discuss effective coordination of safety measures in sports.
Among the sports organizations invited to the event were the Bulgarian Football Union (BFU), the Bulgarian Tennis Federation, the Bulgarian Esports Federation, the Bulgarian Basketball Federation, the Association of Bulgarian Footballers (ABF), as well as the global football organization FIFPRO.
The security forces are represented by the Evropol department, specializing in the fight against financial crimes, as well as representatives from Bulgaria, Malta and Austria.
Loic Alves, Senior Legal Advisor at FIFPRO, highlighted the successful implementation of the Red Button application, created specifically for professional football players. This application provides the ability to report suspected cases of match fixing.
Alves noted: “Football is one of the most-targeted sports by international organized crime, who will often exploit footballers who are in financial difficulties, such as those not regularly receiving their salary from clubs. Ultimately, footballers want a clean sport and the right to a safe workplace. The Red Button app empowers players to safely report match-fixing approaches to competent authorities. That is why a unified approach amongst stakeholders and the support of law enforcement and judiciaries is crucial when it comes to tackling this international issue”.
The BFU has been praised for its continued efforts and support in the fight against corruption in sport, despite the departure of Borislav “Bobby” Mihaylov, the union’s 18-year chief executive, who resigned late last year. Previously, Mikhailov was under investigation on suspicion of links to international crime syndicates associated with contractual activities at world sports tournaments. However, no definitive conclusions have been drawn.
To formally remove him from office, a majority vote of the Bulgarian football clubs is required at the upcoming congress meeting, scheduled for this Friday, March 15. On the same day, Bulgaria will also choose its next football president, with bookmakers tipping Manchester United legend Dimitar Berbatov as the most likely choice of the three main candidates.
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