By Andrew Warshaw
December 28 – Professional footballers from across the world have started coming forward to give evidence of match-fixing as part of a new information-gathering crackdown instigated by the FIFA head of security, Chris Eaton.
In recent weeks, scores of fresh arrests and convictions for illegal betting have been reported from Croatia to China, an encouraging sign for Eaton who hopes his new initiative, starting in the New Year, will result in even more cooperation to wipe out the biggest scourge affecting the global game.
From January 1, FIFA unveils its much-lauded hotline, offering amnesties and rewards to match-fixing whistleblowers. Only those deemed to have been “unfairly compromised” will escape sanction, while there would be no immunity from criminal prosecution.
FIFA have already set up an early warning system to detect suspicious betting patterns and has pledged €20 million (£17 million/$29 million) to Interpol over 10 years to help combat the problem.
However, Eaton’s multi-language one-year initiative takes the crackdown on criminally driven match-fixing for profit to new levels, the first time that FIFA has engaged in such a programme within their entire hierarchy.
“Well over 20 players have already come forward to talk to us, some of them from Europe,” Eaton told insideworldfootball.
“I obviously can’t name names but we’ve talked to some players already about giving them protection.
“Quite a few say they have been intimidated and just want to be recognised for giving a valuable contribution to football.
“We need to identify who the criminals are, how they operate and where they come from.”
Eaton would like to see a move towards organised global action at Government level.
“Criminals are always attracted to large sums of money,” he said.
“I’d like to see some kind of global convention against match-fixing.
“Who knows, maybe even through the United Nations.
“After all, we are talking about unregulated gambling that is global money.”
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