This Sunday, the 2020 season finally begins. Prior to the kickoff, over 900 players and leaders in the 32 elite clubs have undergone education in game responsibility and anti-match fixing, developed by Swedish Professional Football Leagues (SEF) and the main sponsor Unibet.
”We work together with the Swedish FA, Swedish Riksidrottsförbundet and the police to be able to take the struggle against match fixing. First of all we have the responsibility to ensure that all our players are educated”, says Anders Wikström, League Integrity Officer at Swedish Professional Football Leagues.
The education is digital and is done at home by all the club’s players and leaders. The main objective for the season is that all clubs must have completed the education before the season starts.
”We now have 100% implementation of all players and Integrity Officers in all squads. It is a highly set objective but also the only one possible. Every player and club leader must know the risks associated with betting and match fixing, what obligations it entails, where to turn and how to act on these issues, if we are supposed to take the struggle against match fixing in a serious way”, says Anders Wikström.
Players who will be joining during the upcoming transfer window and / or players who will be brought up to the A-squad from the Youth Team will also have to undergo the education.
Swedish Professional Football Leauges and Unibet are investing heavily in integrity this year. Ahead of the intended league premiere in March, a integrity concept for the entire league was launched. Education in betting responsibility and anti-match fixing is one part of the concept. Each club has also appointed a so-called Integrity officer in their leads. Also, in collaboration with the Karolinska Inistitutet (KI), a large study on mental ill-health in the clubs will be conducted during the season.
”Our ambition as the main sponsor for Allsvenskan and Superettan is to promote the entire football experience, from league, clubs and players to supporters and to the society at large. To succeed in this, it is a long-term work where we together take responsibility, contribute to compliance, build credibility and counteract match fixing and unhealthy betting”, says Per Carlander, Country manager at Unibet Sweden.
