LONDON: Michel Platini , the president of European football’s governing body UEFA, yesterday called for action against the three dangers threatening football: match-fixing, discrimination and financial excess.
“The main problem is match-fixing and betting,” said Platini at the UEFA congress in London.
“Our match monitoring systems and network of integrity officers in each country are of course useful and even essential, but they are not enough.
“We are not dealing with petty criminals looking to make ends meet.
“It seems that we are in some cases dealing with mafia-type organisations that use some games, and therefore our sport, to launder dirty money.
“One game rigged is one match too many, as it strikes at the soul of our sport, the very essence of the game.
“I ask at least that each country adopts a specific national law on match-fixing to finally provide the necessary legal tools to condemn uncompromising cheats.”
In his speech, Platini also tackled “the recurrent problem of discrimination, whether racial or sexual, which still exists in football.AFP
