Disciplinary workshop discusses football's integrity

Legal experts have come together at UEFA's headquarters in Nyon to discuss issues which have a bearing on European football and other sports, and which relate to the work of the UEFA judicial authorities – the Control and Disciplinary Body, the Appeals Body and the UEFA disciplinary inspectors – as well as to the protection of football's integrity.

Workshop objectives
The objective of the fourth UEFA Disciplinary Workshop was, among other things, to debate and achieve mutual understanding on issues such as case law and practical questions concerning players deceiving the referee through acts of simulation; issues relating to betting and match-fixing and how to protect football in this respect; the campaign to eliminate racism and fan violence from football and relevant punishment for such conduct; and legal matters relating to the admission of clubs to UEFA competitions.

Simulation provisions
Addressing the workshop on simulation – an offence violating principles of fair play – the chairman of the UEFA Appeals Body, Michel Wuilleret (Switzerland), explained that UEFA had provisions in its disciplinary regulations (Article 10, para. c) for a player to be suspended for two competition matches or a specified period if the player was deemed to have obviously intended to cause match officials to make an incorrect decision. The UEFA judicial bodies were entitled to study video images retrospectively to examine any act of blatant simulation which, for example, might lead to a penalty or a red card for an opponent. UEFA case law already exists in the latter respect.

Racism measures
The European football family is devoted to the fight against racism and fan violence, and firm penalties are in place for those who engage in such conduct. "[UEFA] have stepped up our efforts in recent times (...) to continue to press home the message that racism has no part in football or, indeed, in society," said UEFA General Secretary David Taylor, who added that strict sanctions were in force at UEFA to act as a deterrent to such conduct. (See Article 11bis of the UEFA disciplinary regulations – click here).

DFB racial abuse case law
The workshop gave delegates an opportunity to hear the case law of a major European national association – the German Football Association (DFB) – in the area of racial abuse in football. Making use of domestic examples, Dr Rainer Koch, the DFB legal affairs vice-president, said that the German association's penalties provided for a fine of at least CHF 30,000 on the association or club in question, with serious offences punished by even more severe sanctions – playing a game behind closed doors, the partial closure of stadiums, match forfeits, deduction of points or disqualification from a competition. UEFA Appeals Body member Barry Bright (England) then led an intensive debate among participants on the various types of penalties which might be imposed for different degrees of racial abuse.

Betting and match-fixing
An increasing challenge for football comes from betting and possible match manipulation – an area endangering football's integrity, especially in the wake of a growth in live betting on matches. UEFA's determined response to the challenge posed is, among other things, the reinforcement of UEFA's disciplinary services by improving the UEFA fraud detection system, through the recruitment of additional staff, in particular with specific experience in criminal investigation. UEFA is also co-operating with a number of specialist partners in monitoring betting on UEFA matches, and the systematic collection of live official data from UEFA matches will help the monitoring process in the future. UEFA's fraud detection policy provides for comprehensive investigation of any alleged cases, and disciplinary action will follow against offenders.

Non-admission of clubs
Referring to a specific case dealt with at the beginning of the current season, Jean-Samuel Leuba (Switzerland), a UEFA disciplinary inspector, exposed the legal questions related to the non-admission of clubs to UEFA competitions, following their involvement in activities aimed at arranging a game at national or international level. Issues such as to what extent other clubs affected by the non-admission should be allowed to the proceedings, or whether there is a need for a European definition of corruption, were discussed in detail.

Zero tolerance
Workshop participants were advised about UEFA's firm policy towards those who indulged in acts of racism or violence, as well as against those who sought to damage football's integrity, values and principles of fair play. The policy, said UEFA President Michel Platini in his welcome address, is one of "zero tolerance" to any such offences.

Standing for integrity
"UEFA is a model – it stands for integrity, and is a reference point in the world of sport for its ethical and moral values," the UEFA President added. "We are trying to do our best in terms of awareness campaigns and investing resources, and have defined a clear policy of zero tolerance against racism, violence and those who are trying to cheat, or to manipulate games."