Ongoing commitment to protecting the integrity of football in Gibraltar

“The Gibraltar FA has once again collaborated with Sportradar to deliver its Anti-Match Fixing Workshops as part of the Association’s ongoing commitment to protecting the integrity of football in Gibraltar,” said an official media release from the Gibraltar FA last week.
The workshop has formed an integral part of the sport since the arrival of UEFA, taking a prominent role in combating match-fixing and what was once a betting culture within Gibraltar football. The importance of combating match-fixing became a focal point following early investigations into the game during the period from 2017 to 2019.
A major investigation became public in 2017, widely reported by this newspaper, in which the GFA launched a wide-ranging investigation after being alerted to betting irregularities in a Gibraltar Cup match. This subsequently led to the widening of the investigation, with numerous bans imposed on players and coaches throughout the league. The investigation began towards the end of the 2016/17 season and subsequently widened to other matches and players.
Following the initial reports and findings from the investigation, the Gibraltar FA was to introduce an anti-match-fixing education programme with Sportradar. Importantly, the GFA’s integrity officer said at the time that Gibraltar was still clean, but considered the increasing betting activity a significant risk.
Since then, Gibraltar football has tightened its grip on the game and consistently reminded players, coaches, officials and others involved in football of the importance of being vigilant against any such practice. This included what some considered in the early days of UEFA football as minor breaches, such as placing personal bets on non-Gibraltar-related matches. This is something which is not just frowned upon in the game, but is ultimately a breach of regulations, with no betting on football matches allowed within the sport at any level.
The latest workshop, which highlighted the risks to the sport, was held at the Eliott Hotel across two days, September 15 and 16.
The workshops, attended by some 460 players, coaches and staff representing clubs from the Gibraltar Football League, Reserve League, Women’s Football and Futsal, saw sessions delivered in both English and Spanish. This allowed the large number of foreign players based in the league, primarily from Spain, to choose their preferred language, ensuring that the key integrity messages were accessible to participants across Gibraltar football.
“At the heart of the workshops was UEFA’s ‘Three Rs’ – Recognise, Resist and Report. Participants were encouraged to recognise the warning signs of match-fixing, resist any attempt to involve them in match manipulation, and report any suspicious approaches or activity.
“The workshops also covered the risks associated with betting-related corruption and the misuse of inside information, while reinforcing the responsibility that everyone involved in football has to help protect the integrity of the game.
“As part of the ‘Report’ message, participants were reminded of the importance of reporting any suspicious approach or integrity concern and of the reporting mechanisms available to them should they become aware of activity that could threaten the integrity of football.”
Thanking Sportradar and its speakers for delivering the workshops, as well as all clubs, players, coaches and staff who attended over the two days, the Association highlighted that it will continue to work with its integrity partners to educate and protect participants across Gibraltar football and reinforce the key integrity message: “Recognise. Resist. Report.”
It also advised that any participant who receives a suspicious approach or becomes aware of an integrity-related concern is encouraged to report it to the Gibraltar FA by emailing discipline@gibraltarfa.com.
Whilst Gibraltar football has, since the investigation, seemingly rid itself of a culture of betting within the game, the Association is known to have continued to maintain a high level of vigilance, having also collaborated with international associations and agencies during the past decade in various investigations.
Clubs whose players were involved in investigations and sanctions during the 2017–2019 period are still impacted by these, with a constant reminder every year, especially when seeking UEFA licence certification, to include documentation of past incidents.