Strengthening our Europe-wide defence against match fixing
Thursday, March 19, 2026
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European football's largest-ever gathering of integrity specialists unites the community in the battle against match-fixing.
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Preserving the integrity of European football is vital, and just as effective teamwork is needed to succeed on the pitch, strong collaboration off it is needed to guarantee a bright future.
This week, the game's anti-match-fixing community set a clear direction for staying ahead of emerging threats – committing to stronger national capacity and deeper international cooperation between key stakeholders, which include UEFA, national authorities, international and national law enforcement agencies as well as Europe's national football associations.
An interconnected step forward for integrity
By inviting all 55 UEFA member associations to Ljubljana for our inaugural Integrity Officers Forum, followed by the annual Anti-Match-Fixing Working Group meeting – both hosted alongside the Football Association of Slovenia (NZS) – we completed European football's largest-ever integrity gathering, delivering practical tools and operational insights to help protect both continental and domestic competitions.
Integrity officers learned about new investigative methods, shared case intelligence, and enhanced connections with both UEFA and our international partners, with sessions combining real-life studies and hands-on exercises to help them spot and address potential threats and irregularities.
"Anti-match-fixing threats do not respect borders, so it is vital that our response is unified and collaborative," said Angelo Rigopoulos, UEFA Integrity & Regulatory executive director. "What we have built together in these sessions forms the foundation of effective protection, and when all stakeholders align our efforts, we strengthen European football’s defence system in a way no single organisation can achieve alone."
Strengthening national capacity across Europe
The forum also marks the launch of a refreshed integrity cycle, designed to help national associations build stronger, more agile protection structures.
Over two days, the network exchanged best practices on:
- cross border cooperation
- betting data analysis
- evidence gathering for disciplinary cases
- new education approaches
- use of the UEFA Integrity Investigation Fund
Smaller federations in particular can benefit from access to investigative expertise usually found only in larger associations and law enforcement agencies. Larger associations, meanwhile, drew value from discussing community level prevention challenges raised by smaller or emerging football markets.
Voices from the Integrity Officer Forum
"The past two days have been both insightful and highly valuable, filled with engaging discussions across a wide range of integrity-related topics. Coming from a small nation, forums like this are particularly meaningful. While there is never a one-size-fits-all approach, the topics covered ensure that there is something of value for everyone in attendance. I leave the forum with a clearer sense of direction in my role and am grateful for the other officers I have met. Now, I look forward to applying the knowledge gained."
Gibraltar Football Association (GFA) integrity officer Lai Sun Lui
"The forum was truly inspiring and offered a wealth of new insights. The knowledge gained provides strong motivation to move forward with renewed purpose. I am grateful for the opportunity to exchange perspectives with fellow professionals and to collectively strengthen the integrity framework. The most important message remains clear: combating match fixing is something we can only achieve together."
Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) integrity officer Mariëlle van den Breemen
International partnership delivering operational impact
As match fixing networks continue to expand in size and complexity, the Ljubljana event underscored that international cooperation is now indispensable.
By welcoming representatives from the Council of Europe, CONMEBOL, Europol, FIBA, FIPRO, Genius Sports, the Group of Copenhagen, IBIA, the IOC, Interpol, commercial partners, the Spanish National Police, Sportradar, ULIS, and UNODC, we strengthened the operational bridge between sport, national authorities, law enforcement and bet–monitoring bodies.
"Match-fixing is often linked to organised crime, requiring a coordinated international response to strengthen our defences," explained Pablo Salazar, Europol's head of Office Analysis Project Corruption, European Financial & Economic Crime Centre (EFECC). "Through intelligence sharing and operational support, Europol is committed to working closely with UEFA and national law enforcement authorities to protect integrity in sport."
Diverse experience, united mission
One of the forum’s most valuable outcomes was the exchange between national associations themselves. Delegations shared their experiences across different geographic, regulatory and cultural realities – from those having established a sophisticated integrity setup to small territories with fewer resources but increasing strategic importance in cross border investigations.
National associations will convene once more at regional workshops as of 2027, but the community's integrity work continues around the clock, now more prepared than ever for the challenges to come. This work remains crucial in keeping the game clean and delivering on the aims of our wider integrity strategy.