Match-fixing a global crime, says top expert
Print Edition
FIFA’S ex-security chief says football is facing a “crisis of credibility with its fans” over match-fixing and is the most corrupt sport in the world today.
Chris Eaton said on the sidelines of a regional SoccerEx conference in Amman, Jordan, yesterday that tackling this “global crime” requires a joint effort by football leaders, and is “not an issue of simply arresting a few players like Delroy Facey”.
Facey, a former Premier League striker, has been sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison for match-fixing.
Eaton said that “football is not the only sport affected, but it is the most corrupted sport in the world today”, adding that “we have to address this at the top level.”
Eaton left FIFA in 2012 for the private, Qatar-based International Center for Sports Security.
Meanwhile, FIFA vice president Prince Ali bin al Hussein made a new call for Sepp Blatter, the head of football’s governing body, to be kicked out of office.
The Jordanian royal said that FIFA has to be “more open, more transparent” as he sought votes for an election on May 30.
Blatter, 79, is strong favorite to win a fifth term at the head of the world’s most powerful sporting federation but faces an unprecedented challenge from Prince Ali and two other candidates.
The prince, 39, said too much power is concentrated in committees which meet in Zurich and there should be more discussion in the regions.
“Football is a difficult sport to maintain, you always need help. FIFA can help go forward if we re-look at how we do things. We have to be more open, more transparent in how we do things,” he said at the start of SoccerEx Asia yesterday. “You can`t run everything from Zurich.”
“As wonderful as football is and as popular as it is in the world, unfortunately, the reputation of FIFA is not there at all,” the prince added, referring to scandals that have hit the body over awarding the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
