Malta FA lntegrity Tour 2014

Malta Football Association (MFA) together with Sportradar are pleased to announce the launch of a pioneering educational program which will tackle the issue of betting-related corruption in Maltese football. The 'Say No to Match-Fixing' integrity tour is an innovative collaboration between the MFA, Sportradar and Betaland, bringing together three of the key stakeholders with regards to integrity in sport.  The 'Say No to Match-Fixing' tour will be conducted by Sportradar and will educate players, referees and club officials about all relevant issues surrounding modern day match-fixing. Education, including an innovative e-learning tutorial, is the key focus of the program and will encompass aspects such as monitoring and detection systems used to identify manipulated matches and the consequences of engaging in corrupt activity. The MFA has acted with foresight in addressing the clear risks posed by match-fixing. Through this proactive collaboration, the MFA has taken positive and decisive action in order to safeguard the integrity of Maltese football in the future. The program is sponsored by Betaland, a bookmaker that has offices, and a sizeable customer base, in Malta. Through its involvement in this scheme, Betaland has taken the important step as a betting operator of assisting the fight against match-fixing in sport. MFA President, Norman Darmanin Demajo, commented that "We are here today for two main reasons - the first, because we are aware of the threat that match fixing poses to the game of football, and secondly, because we are willing to do something about it. With the invaluable assistance of Sportradar and Betaland, the MFA will embark on an 'integrity tour' that we believe will be the blueprint of future 'Say No to Match-Fixing' campaigns designed to help safeguard our beloved game". Sportradar CEO, Carsten Koerl said "Sportradar is delighted to be a part of this groundbreaking cooperation with Betaland and the MFA. Working together with the sport federation and betting industry, we are in the strongest possible position to protect the integrity of Maltese football". Betaland CEO, Antonio Ricci, commented that "Betaland is proud to be part of this project along with the MFA and Sportradar. As an international bookmaker, we support this important fight against match-fixing because we truly believe in sport and we intend to protect it from corruption and manipulation. For us this is a decisive partnership that goes beyond marketing and branding purposes, but wants to show clearly our social responsibility". The 'Say No to Match-Fixing' tour, which will start in January 2014, was officially launched on Thursday, 0511212013, during a press conference held at the Centenary Hall Ta'Qali, following the Referees' Workshop held the day before. ln attendance were: Emilio Garcia (UEFA Head of Disciplinary and lntegrity), Andreas Krannich (Sportradar Managing Director), Norman Darmanin Demajo (MFA President), Chris Bonett (MFA Vice President), Bjorn Vassallo (MFA CEO), Adrian Camilleri (MFA Prosecutor), Ftanz Tabone (MFA lntegrity Officer), Luigi Discornia (Betaland Director).