Cutting off the "match-fixing industry chain" of professional football requires a multi-pronged approach

The reporter reported coldly Although in September 2024, the Chinese Football Association has punished the people involved in the case according to the materials involved in the gambling and match-fixing case handed over by the public security organs, but in recent days, as the relevant circumstances involved in the case have once again aroused heated discussions among fans, how to comprehensively increase the rectification of match-fixing and gambling in the professional league and cut off the professional football match-fixing industry chain from the root has once again become the focus of attention of the Chinese football community and fans.

In September last year, the special rectification action on the "fake gambling" problem of the football professional league jointly carried out by the General Administration of Sports of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry of Public Security exposed the wide coverage, the number of people involved and the amount of money involved in China's professional football match-fixing industry chain are shocking. The professional football match-fixing industry chain is widespread all over the world, and it is a complex system that is operated illegally by multiple parties, involves the improper interests of multiple parties, and conceals the operation methods. The match-fixing industry chain usually involves the "bookmakers" who organize match-fixing activities into the professional football field through intermediaries, and participates together with players, coaches, referees and even football administrators to complete the complete industrial chain of manipulating the results of the game and obtaining illegal benefits.

The professional football match-fixing industry chain has seriously damaged the fairness of the game and the credibility of the league, resulting in a decline in fans' trust in the league and a sharp decline in matchday revenue. It will also cause the commercial reputation of the professional league to decline, greatly affect the support of sponsors and broadcasters for the league, and the normal operation of the professional league will be severely affected. In addition to maintaining the credibility, business reputation and fairness of the league, the all-round "multi-pronged" crackdown on the professional football match-fixing industry chain is also a crucial "backing" guarantee for the healthy development of the professional league.

Last year's special rectification action on the problem of "fake gambling black" in the football professional league gave the heaviest blow to the domestic professional football match-fixing industry chain. In recent years, the Chinese Football Association has stepped up its efforts to control the "fake gambling" behavior in the football industry, and has taken a series of measures to establish and improve a truly rigorous, effective, complete and fair mechanism for the industry chain of fighting match-fixing, and strive to make the professional league and football environment gradually clean, healthy and orderly.

To cut off the professional football match-fixing industry chain from the root, on the one hand, it is necessary to cooperate with the special rectification actions of the public security department, continue to strengthen the crackdown and deterrence of special projects, and severely punish practitioners involved in match-fixing and gambling in accordance with laws and regulations.

First of all, the Chinese Football Association has established and improved the professional league management system and internal supervision mechanism to ensure the professional ethics and behavioral norms of players, coaches, referees and other practitioners, and severely punish the "fake gambling" behavior involved in the match-fixing industry chain. It is the premise of rectifying the professional football match-fixing industry chain and cultivating the healthy development environment of the football industry to build a "zero tolerance" mechanism for industry practitioners to match the ball and gamble in the industry.

On the basis of the internal supervision system, the Chinese Football Association is also continuing to strengthen integrity education and professional ethics training, improve the professionalism and moral level of players, coaches, referees and related industry personnel, and let practitioners truly realize that the red line of sports fairness cannot be touched. At the same time, it attaches great importance to the management of referees to ensure the independence and impartiality of referees. Strengthen industry self-discipline, sign self-discipline commitments, and give full play to the self-discipline and autonomy functions of industry associations.

In terms of expanding social supervision, the Chinese Football Association has set up integrity commissioners and formed a team of integrity commissioners; The official website of the Football Association has set up a supervision and reporting section to accept supervision from all walks of life, and announced the "Interim Measures for the Reporting and Handling of the Problem of "Fake Gambling" of the Chinese Football Association, focusing on the handling of the "fake gambling" problem involving the match-fixing industry chain.

In terms of the introduction of scientific and technological means and cooperation, the Chinese Football Association has also exchanged and cooperated with internationally renowned sports data companies and overseas relevant institutions, using big data to monitor in real time and supervise and warn suspicious games; Learn from the experience of cracking down on illegal gambling and match manipulation; Establish an interactive exchange mechanism for early warning information with the public security department, and at the same time strengthen the monitoring of online public opinion and the collection of information related to "fake gambling and criminal fraud".

In terms of international cooperation, it is particularly important to learn from and draw on the experience and measures of Europe's top football leagues in dealing with "fake gambling". For example, like FIFA and UEFA, establish early warning systems to monitor matches in real time and identify abnormal betting patterns; By cooperating with law enforcement agencies and gaming regulators in various countries, we will jointly crack down on the cross-border match-fixing industry chain.

All in all, cracking down on the professional football match-fixing industry chain is a normalized and long-term action that Chinese football must make decisive and continuous efforts. We must pay close attention to the atmosphere and persevere, so that the Chinese professional league can continue to move forward on the track of healthy development under the protection of a truly strict, effective, complete and fair anti-"fake gambling black" mechanism.