Human Rights Foundation’s Post

UEFA EURO 2024 is committed to upholding and protecting human rights of all participants and spectators. In 2021 DFB German football association was the first national federation which implemented the Human Rights Policy at national level, at 2023 was adopted the Human Rights Declaration for UEFA EURO 2024. As a result we have 3 great initiatives: 1️⃣ Grievance mechanism Since 1 June 2024 this mechanism has been available for anyone affected at any time by the tournament: players, spectators, journalists, human rights defenders, volunteers, workers, suppliers and service providers. Report can be filed via secure online form, which is available in all the languages of the participating teams. 2️⃣ Team of rapid response mechanism Special teams will work at at all venues of EURO 2024. This is designed to provide immediate assistance to spectators who feel harassed, discriminated against, threatened or otherwise unsafe. Posters throughout the stadium will inform spectators about the rapid response mechanism and provide a QR code for easy contact. 3️⃣ EURO 2024 human rights board The human rights board will provide expert guidance on human rights issues related to the tournament, serve as a central point of information for all matters related to human rights, facilitate communication and collaboration among stakeholders to share perspectives and shape best practices, observe and make recommendations on the operational implementation of relevant policies and actions. We will see the results of the effectiveness of these measures only after the event, but I see it as a great example for any other sports and mega sporting events. More info: https://lnkd.in/dxV66sqQ #euro2024 #uefa #humanrights #protection #responsability #event #measures

📢 Recently, the country partners of Integrisport 3.0 including Play Fair Code, the Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports, the National Police of Spain, the Estonian Center for Integrity in Sports (ESTCIS), National Agency for Sports of Romania, and the Bulgarian Ministry of Youth and Sports, met to assess the progress of the project. The meeting highlighted significant strides in fortifying sports integrity across Europe, with fruitful discussions on best practices and upcoming initiatives. IntegriSport 3.0, supported by the European Union, is dedicated to providing crucial support for law enforcement and judiciaries in combating sports manipulation and crime. Successful awareness-raising sessions have already been conducted, with plans for further engagement activities in the works. For those interested in learning more about the outcomes of the interim meeting and the project's trajectory, the interim meeting full press release is available. 📌 Click here https://lnkd.in/e-fBCSdA to access the complete update and discover how IntegriSport 3.0 is shaping the future of sports integrity in Europe. ✅ Stay tuned for further developments as we continue our mission to promote fairness and trust in sports and esports! #erasmusplus #sportmanipulation #matchfixing #integrisport3 Norbert Rubicsek J.D. INEFC Υπουργείο Μετανάστευσης & Ασύλου - Greek Ministry of Migration & Asylum Remo Perli Severin Moritzer Cristina Swan United Lotteries for Integrity in Sports (ULIS) FIFPRO International Olympic Committee – IOC INTERPOL Europol UEFA Raquel Mirabet Agulled Generalitat de Catalunya

🤝 To address manipulation and criminal activities within the realms of sports and esports, the CSCF - Sport Integrity Group and the Ministry of Youth and Sports Bulgaria organized a landmark conference in Sofia. The event served as a pivotal platform for tackling the multifaceted challenges threatening the integrity of sports across Bulgaria. Notably, the conference witnessed unprecedented participation, drawing over 110 attendees, including representatives from the National Police, sports federations, and relevant ministries. High-level discussions centered on strategies for maintaining integrity and combating manipulation in both traditional sports and esports.   After the conference, as part of the Integrisport 3.0 awareness-raising session, the Bulgarian National Platform met and made significant decisions regarding the future reactivation of their activities. This side meeting underscored the commitment of stakeholders to continue the momentum generated by the conference, ensuring sustained efforts in combating manipulation and criminal activities within the sports sector. The event also featured insights from esteemed speakers, including government officials and sports integrity experts.  ✅ For further details about this remarkable event, please refer to the full press release here: https://lnkd.in/es8RQjDC #erasmusplus #sportmanipulation #matchfixing #integrisport3 Bulgarian Football Union, Bulgarian Tennis Federation, Malta Police Force, United Lotteries for Integrity in Sports (ULIS), FIFPRO, Europol, Severin Moritzer, Norbert Rubicsek J.D.

A recent report from the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) Investigative Journalism Network unveils how investment funds are reshaping European football. I recommend everyone to have a read and judge for themselves, but a few key issues stand out for me. Key Issues: ⚽ Fan Disconnection: Rising costs and a focus on profitability alienate local fan bases, eroding the cultural essence of football. ⚽ Integrity Risks: Smaller clubs are often held back for business gains, compromising the sport’s fairness. ⚽ Conflict of Interest: Multi-club ownership raises questions about fair competition, especially in international tournaments. ⚽ Ethical Concerns: Investments from Gulf states highlight associations with regimes with questionable human rights records. The Future: As football becomes an industrial asset, valued at €51.7 billion, the need for robust regulations is evident. Both UEFA and FIFA face challenges in maintaining fair play and financial transparency. The EBU’s investigation underscores the urgent need for transparency and regulation to balance commercial interests with preserving football's cultural heritage. Final Thoughts: European football stands at a crossroads. Balancing profitability with integrity and cultural values is essential. Cross-border collaboration in investigative journalism has proven vital in shedding light on these critical issues. Let’s keep this topic hot, lines of communication open, stay informed and advocate for the true spirit of the Beautiful Game! ⚽️ #Football #FootballIntegrity #FootballFinance #SportsConsulting #EBUInvestigation #IntegrityInSports #EuropeanFootball #Transparency

From every angle I look at this A22 Sports Management/ European Super League announcement, the more I'm confused as to how on earth they think this is achievable. This notion of 'football is free', feels like an obvious counter to the 'money grabbing' perception of the last time they went to market with the concept. But let's be clear, there is not a single example of any media OR sports property being financially sustainable or successful across Europe with that approach. (if there is, please tell me!) So the whole notion that they can build something sustainable goes against all market trends and dynamics, particularly at a tier 1 sports property level where every dollar is already being maximised out of its media revenues. Now I'm not saying this isn't a good idea - we all know the current media rights model is broken. BUT the problem is that they're surely expecting fairly instant financial returns - and that is the part that is near on impossible without some huge bankrolling from a sovereign state or 2. And lets not get started on the cannibalisation of existing revenue streams from legacy domestic leagues. Does anyone disagree? https://lnkd.in/epurcism

Read more about #HumanRights and #ResponsibleSponsorship in sports in the eccellent blog post by my colleagues Clara Philippi and Leonel Lisboa!

At least nobody can accuse Asia’s soccer authorities of failing to sweat the small stuff. It would be easy to overlook the little things, after all, when their job is to nurture and promote the most popular sport on the planet for the benefit of almost five billion people spread across a third of the world’s landmass. In many ways, then, it is admirable that the Asian Football Confederation (A.F.C.) can still find the time to dictate precisely which water bottles, with which labels, fans should be allowed to carry into stadiums. That kind of attention to detail should reassure you that soccer’s future — from Beirut to Beijing, and Ulaanbaatar to Hobart — is in safe hands. Unfortunately, that is not quite the picture that emerges from a report, commissioned by soccer’s global players’ union, FIFPro, assessing the benefits and shortcomings of Asia’s most prestigious club competition, the Asian Champions League. Instead, the report documents a tournament that acts as an almost perfect microcosm of soccer’s general direction across the globe. There is plenty of the sort of officious nit-picking beloved of sports authorities. As well as addressing the crucial issue of water bottles, the A.F.C.’s “clean stadium” requirements — the rules that decree that arenas for Champions League games must be free of nonapproved advertising — take on pressing matters like the logos on backpacks and the branding on bottle caps. The A.F.C. appears to be far less concerned with whether the tournament actually works for the clubs involved. According to estimates from two competing teams, enforcing the clean stadium rules alone costs $50,000 a game. Traveling for away matches is even more expensive. In Europe, teams habitually travel first class — for what, in the report, is described as “high performance purposes,” a logic that sadly does not apply to journalists at The New York Times — but the sheer geography of Asia means that is not an option. The average distance traveled for a road game in the Asian Champions League is about 2,300 miles. That makes even flying economy notably burdensome: One Australian team reported that it had spent $95,000 to transport and house its players and staff members for a single fixture in Japan, substantially more than the $60,000 subsidy the A.F.C. provides until the later rounds of the competition. That is where some of the 40 clubs to have made the group stage will be able to make up the losses they have accrued along the way. But only some of them: Half of the $15 million prize money is awarded to the eventual winner and runner-up. The losing semifinalists might make $500,000. FIFPro’s findings suggest the bulk of the teams lose significant money just by taking part. “The outcome is that the competition is least affordable for those clubs that are eliminated early, which also tend to be clubs from smaller or less-developed markets,” the report said. Urawa Reds, the

Betano, a company based in Upper Austria, is the first sports betting provider in UEFA's history to sponsor a European Football Championship – this year's EURO 2024. This connection can already be seen as problematic as the company profits from gambling addiction. Another controversial fact is that the business was recently convicted in Germany, as it has been operating for years without a gambling licence. While the company is an international player in the market, it is relatively unknown in its country of origin. Thanks to a national peculiarity, Austria is attractive to many betting providers: it is the only country in the EU that classifies sports betting as a game of skill rather than a game of chance. While games of chance are subject to stricter laws, games of skill are not uniformly regulated but a matter for the federal states, leading to legal confusion and a grey market. These types of companies also face no advertising restrictions. As a result, international betting providers operate in Austria without a licence and adequate player protection. A Top Story by Claudia Tschabuschnig. Read here: https://buff.ly/4erzQ3D

The Premier League resigned a massive six-year deal with video game giant Electronic Arts (EA) worth UK£500 million (US$603 million) last year - one of the largest sponsorship deals across the industry. Here are some key sponsorship deals within the Asian Football Confederation (AFC): 🤝 In Vietnam, the V.League 1 signed a new sponsorship contract with Fortune Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank (LPBank), for the 24/25 season - valued at the high six-figures (USD). 🤝The India Super League (ISL) has partnered with KMF Nandini (a dairy-brand), for this new season. While the exact financial details have not been publicly disclosed, given similar deals in Indian football, one can assume this was valued in the low seven-figures. 🤝The Malaysian Football League increased the number of league sponsors this season to 15 (up from 12 last season), with CelcomDigi as their main partner. 🤝In the Middle East, the Saudi Pro League (SPL) signed a multi-brand PepsiCo sponsorship for the upcoming season. Their main sponsor is still Roshn (a Saudi state developed), they signed a five-year sponsorship back in August 2022 - worth SAR478 million (US$127 million). This is one of the largest deals in the AFC. 🤝 The Chinese Football Association's Super league was renamed "China Resources C'estbon CFA Super League" after securing a major sponsorship deal with Resources C'estbon, a well-known beverage brand in the region.

The preliminary report of the 2022 Sport Satellite Account, launched on May 31, showed how the sports industry contributed to Malaysia’s GDP. Yet, it was a forgettable affair, as the Youth and Sports Ministry continues its fixation on football, namely its big screen initiatives, writes Muhammad Yunus Zakariah. More on Twentytwo13. #football #sports #sportsministry #malaysia #opinion #Twentytwo13 #twentytwo13news