Brazilians are passionate about sports, with soccer being the most popular sport. Therefore, there is a joint effort to ensure sports integrity in all areas. During the SBC Summit Rio, held in the last week of February, Felippe Marchetti detailed the integrity and awareness work that Sportradar develops with Brazilian clubs.
“It’s been a really cool event. Everyone from the industry is there, and we’re bringing a bit of the integrity theme to the table by participating in panels. Discussing this cooperation between different industry players to protect sports in Brazil is essential,” he said.
According to him, education plays a crucial role in combating match-fixing. Currently, Sportradar works in two distinct ways:
- In-person workshops at clubs;
- Online educational platform.
“Last year, I was at Palmeiras and Atlético-MG talking to the professional teams, but we also carried out training through an educational platform. A 30-minute video explains to the players what match-fixing is, its relationship with the betting market and organized crime,” he explained.
“In addition, the material illustrates how handlers approach athletes, teaching how to identify and report, in addition to the risks and consequences of involvement in this type of practice,” he added.
For Marchetti, the educational platform allows the initiative to reach a greater number of clubs, surpassing the continental dimensions of Brazil. In this way, both large teams and smaller clubs, including youth and amateur football, can be approached.
Finally, Felippe Marchetti said that the company has already reached an agreement with EstrelaBet to promote a meeting with Criciúma athletes, as well as with teams sponsored by the Esportes da Sorte group. “If each operator brings education to the clubs they sponsor, we will achieve a large and uniform coverage of our football,” he concluded.