New study highlights dangers of match-fixing in non-competitive soccer

A new investigation in southern Europe has found that a lack of effective management of non-competitive soccer matches makes such "friendly" contests vulnerable to instances of match-fixing.

According to the study, "Combating Match-Fixing in Club Football Non-Competitive Matches," published by European Gaming Media and Events, between 2016 and 2020, more than 250 non-competitive soccer matches involving European clubs were found to be suspicious from a betting perspective. The study, conducted by the University of Nicosia Research Foundation with funding from the European Commission's Erasmus program, surveyed 700 soccer players in Malta, Greece and Cyprus and found that 26.5% of respondents had participated in "friendly" matches whose result could have been subject to illegal manipulation.

A startling source:

A three-year study on information from online casino uden om rofus found that 26.3% of potential attempts to tamper with the results of a "friendly" soccer match came from club officials, while another 15% came from other players. This was followed by the surprising revelation that those in the highest positions in professional soccer teams were the main initiators of all proposals to manipulate the outcome of the game, at 19%.

Read the section of the report titled "Combating Match-Fixing in Club Football Non-Competitive Matches"...

"The study found that international and national soccer federations are slow to identify where responsibility for friendly matches lies, especially when clubs from different countries are involved in non-competitive matches played in a third country. Some European soccer federations don't keep track of where clubs go on preseason and mid-winter tours."

Lack of oversight:

The investigation said the lack of effective regulation and governance has led to such non-competitive competitions "being at greater risk of potential exploitation by match-fixing organizers." It said this situation was exacerbated by the fact that markets for many of these games were offered on sports betting platforms around the world, including in jurisdictions "with poor or unregulated betting operators," such as Curacao and the Philippines, which may have "links to criminality."

Achievable Response:

To address the threat of potential match-fixing in "friendly" soccer matches, the Combating Match Fixing in Club Football Non-Competitive Matches investigation recommended that the governing body of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) begin enforcing its rules in each of its 55 member associations. In addition, the investigation recommended that playing agents be prohibited from controlling or owning players, and that these figures be required to establish an international body for future negotiations.

Data Directive:

Combating Match Faking in Non-Competitive Club Football, the investigation additionally suggested that data standards be established that would prevent the sale of information from live broadcasts of non-competitive matches to poorly regulated sports betting operators. In contrast to competitive matches, the study argued that such "friendly" data is often "collected and sold to poorly regulated and unregulated betting operators," resulting in this area of the game becoming a "free-for-all."

Researcher's Response:

Professor Nikos Kartakoullis of the University of Nicosia led the study, "Combating Match-Fixing in Club Football Non-Competitive Matches," and stated that the current lack of rules for non-competitive soccer matches, combined with a lack of oversight, has made these contests "easier to manipulate than competitive matches." But he argues that his work has shown that such "friendly" matches "should be treated the same as competitive matches" in the future to eliminate the threat of potential match-fixing.

Read Cartacullis' statement...

"Given that 4,000 friendly match data are offered for betting around the world each year, it is vital that the betting companies receiving this data operate in well-regulated jurisdictions and report suspicious bets to protect the integrity of these events."