Fifa amnesty for match-fixing informers

FIFA has confirmed rewards and amnesties would be offered to match-fixing whistleblowers in a bid to eradicate corruption from the game.

Football’s world governing body believe they need to provide incentives to players, administrators and officials involved in illegal betting if they are to encourage them to come clean. The controversial scheme, which comes into force in January, will reward those who come forward inside the first month, with potential amnesties being offered for a further three months.

Crucially, only those deemed by an independent process to have been “unfairly compromised” would escape sanction, while there would be no immunity from criminal prosecution.

Fifa head of security Chris Eaton explained how many players involved in match-fixing were targeted at a young age by criminals and often came under intolerable pressure from their own families or team-mates to take part in the practice. Eaton believes it is Fifa’s responsibility to provide these people with the support they need in order for them to blow the whistle.

Speaking at the Professional Players Federation national conference yesterday, Eaton said: “It’s so important that players have a way that they can report this. Recognise, resist and report – it’s the three Rs.

“We’re going to have a rewards programme for one month from January, followed then by a hotline and amnesty programme probably for three months, all managed independently. This will then be followed by an assessment programme, followed by some sort of amnesty for the players who have been unfairly compromised, and there’ll be rehabilitation for those players.

“When a player’s compromised at the age of 16 or 15, there needs to be some credit given to their situation.”

Eaton, a former policeman, claimed the threat of match-fixing in English football was “extremely serious” and insisted tackling it required an international approach.