IntegriSport
Next Erasmus+

We stand against manipulation in sport

It is a two-year project (2021-2022), with the ultimate goal of contributing to the efficiency of sport manipulation-related crime investigations and prosecution activities by providing awareness raising for law enforcement officers, judicial authorities, and other important stakeholders of the country partners on all aspects of manipulation of sports competitions, including the following topics:

Sport integrity

Sport betting

Virtual currencies

Related criminal offences (corruption, fraud, money laundering)

Policy making and National and international co-operation

Moreover, we aim at working closely with law enforcement and judiciary to develop further their capacity in investigative and prosecution techniques for sport manipulation cases (peer-to-peer meetings), as well as to provide operational support when necessary.

Sports manipulation is a growing problem that is linked to fraud, organised crime and corruption.

Often limited in-depth knowledge amongst law enforcement and judicial authorities on the dangers of sports manipulations.

Often limited co-operation amongst law enforcement and judicial authorities and with other organisation dealing with sports manipulation (An effective fight against this phenomenon requires coordinated actions).

The current presence of high-risk factors such as increasing commercialization, globalisation and technology.

Low priority in policy formulation and implementation.

Country Partners:

Cyprus - The Cyprus Police

Estonia - The Estonian Police and Border Guard Board

Georgia - The Ministry of Culture, Sport and Youth of Georgia

Malta - The Malta Police Force

Sweden - The Swedish Sports Confederation

Finland - The Finnish Center for Integrity in Sports (FINCIS)

Partner organizations: 

Belgian - Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven)

Switzerland - The Global Lottery Monitoring System (GLMS)

Supporting Partner:

The Netherlands- Internationale des Footballeurs Professionnelles, Division Europe (FIFPro)

Different phases have been developed for the project methodology:

Comprehensive research:

Combination of expert knowledge gathering and active research into the current status, priorities and gaps in the program countries. The conclusion from this research is condensed into a Comprehensive Overview of fighting Match-fixing practices within the program countries, and EU-wide laws, directives, initiatives.

Tailored curriculums and workshops:

This phase is the backbone of the project and involves all participants with the developments of a customized curriculum for each of the 6 Awareness Raising Sessions (workshops-events), that also includes Peer-to-peer meetings and Operational expertise service, based on the research performed in the previous phase.

Virtual Platform and documentation:

A cooperation and information platform for law enforcement agencies and judicial authorities as well as materials/reports are prepared to spread the impact of the project as broadly as possible

Closing Conference:

A major event inviting previous participants, representatives from non-program countries (to expand and continue the project after the EU phase), and including a media event/press conference to increase the visibility of the topic

For more info contact: integrisportnext.admin@cscfsport.com

Project consortium's kick-off meeting and Partners’ Board meeting

February 18, 2021

The launch of the EU-funded project, IntegriSport Next ERASMUS +, was officially held today at a kickoff meeting, this time online due to current circumstances.

This project, developed and coordinated by the CSCF Foundation for Sport Integrity, is considered the continuation of the successful IntegriSport Erasmus+ project (2019-2020), consolidating itself as an important platform for raising awareness for law enforcement and judiciaries about the damages of sports manipulations in Europe (#matchfixing).

The project represents a joint commitment to strengthen prevention and cooperation on this phenomenon in six countries: Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Malta and Sweden,bringing together the efforts of:

Country Partners Organisations: The Cyprus Police; Estonian Police; Finnish Center for Integrity in Sports; The Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia; Malta Police Force; Swedish Sports Confederation

Partner organisations: The Global Lottery Monitoring System (GLMS) & Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven)

Supporting organisations: FIFPRO.

Check the press release here.

Fact finding missions - Administrative Meeting - Cyprus

31 May – 1 June, 2021

Cyprus completed the #IntegriSportNext #ErasmusPlus Online Fact-Finding Mission in cooperation with our partner The Cyprus Police.

During this session, we had the opportunity to meet representatives of relevant Cyprus stakeholders in sport and learn their views and mindsets about sports manipulations in the country, this gives a deep foundation for the curriculum, as well as an unmissable opportunity to learn good practices through the project and connect the individual efforts into a much more effective network.

Warm thanks for the contribution of the different stakeholders from the organization.

Fact finding missions - Administrative Meeting - Estonia

21-22th of April, 2021

We have successfully completed the #IntegriSportNext #ErasmusPlus Estonian Online Fact-Finding Mission in co-operation with our partner, the Estonian Police and the Border Guard Board!

This session was constructed to seek the participants’ point of view on sports manipulation (#matchfixing) and related criminal activities, asking questions based on their experience to identify the current situation and practices around this phenomenon. 

We are thankful for the participation of the different stakeholders, including:

Mr. Henn Vallimäe – Estonian Center for Integrity in Sports (ESTCIS)
Mr. Kaarel Nestor – Ministry of Culture of Estonia
Mr. Konstantin Vassiljev – Football player
Mr. Remo Perli – Police and Border Guard Board
Mr.  Allar Levandi – International gaming company Paf
Mr. Martti Raju – Estonian Olypic Committee
Mr. Markko Künnapu – Ministry of Justice of Estonia
Ms. Piret Paukštys – Estonian Prosecutor`s office
Mr. Mihkel Uiboleht – Estonian Football Association
Mr.Ranno Aednurm – Estonian Tax and Customs Board

We believe that together we can contribute against sports manipulation in the country and create the main plan for an awareness program in that matter.

Fact finding missions - Administrative Meeting - Finland

8-9th of April, 2021

We have successfully completed our first #IntegriSportNext online fact-finding mission with our Finnish partner, the Finnish Center for Integrity in Sports (FINCIS)!

A warm thanks to the participants from different key stakeholders who contribute to the fight against sports manipulation (matchfixing) in the country 🇫🇮 and whose ideas are essential to plan the Awareness Session this autumn:

Panu Autio – National Team Futsal Player of Finland

Jouko Ikonen – FINCIS
Matti Räisänen – FA of Finland
Petri Heikkinen – Finnish Olympic Committee
Markku Heinonen – Veikkaus Lotto
Markus Juhola – Finish Football Player’s Association

Timo Kilpeläinen – National Police Board of Finland

Coordinators:

Norbert Rubicsek – CSCF Foundation for Sport Integrity
Carlos Gutiérrez – CSCF Foundation for Sport Integrity

Fact finding missions - Administrative Meeting -  Georgia

27-28th of May, 2021

Discussing and understanding the sports manipulations in Georgia!

We have successfully completed the #IntegriSportNext #ErasmusPlus Georgia Online Fact-Finding Mission in co-operation with our partner the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Youth of Georgia.

We are thankful for the participation of the different stakeholders, including:

Mr Giorgi Zambakhidze
Mr Mikheil Kharati
Mr Vakhtang Bzikadze
Mr Zurab Bitsadze
Mr Elguja Beriahvili
Ms Keso Chkhikadze
Mr Shalva Mamukashvili
Mr Nodar Tsintsadze
Mr Lasha Pitnava
Mr Nika Kobakhidze
Anatoli Korepanov

From the side of expert were:

by CSCF: Carlos Gutierrez 
by GLMS: Cassandra Fernandes

From the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Youth of Georgia

by: Teo Baramidze

We believe that together we can contribute against sports manipulation in the country and create the main plan for an awareness program in those matters.

Fact finding missions - Administrative Meeting -  Malta

10-11th of June, 2021

Malta has become one of the partner countries that has completed the #IntegriSportNext #ErasmusPlus Online Fact-Finding Mission in cooperation with our partner the Malta Police

A cordial thanks for the contribution of the different stakeholders of the organization.

We are excited!!!

We have finished all of our sessions of #IntegriSportNext #ErasmusPlus Online Fact-Finding Missions with the different partner countries: Finland, Estonia, Sweden, Georgia, Cyprus, and now Malta.

👏🏻👏🏻We appreciate the participation of the stakeholders that collaborate with us to better understand the situation of sports manipulations in each country. We will be compiling a final report with all the findings to be ready for the Awareness-Raising Sessions to be held soon.

Fact finding missions - Administrative Meeting - Sweden

5-6th of May, 2021

We have successfully completed the fact-finding mission in Sweden of the #IntegriSportNext #ErasmusPlus project, with the great support of our partner the Swedish Sports Confederation, Riksidrottsforbundet t (RF)

During this session, we had the opportunity to meet representatives of relevant Swedish stakeholders in sport and learn their views and mindsets about sports manipulations in the country.

Warm thanks for the contribution of the different key stakeholders.

Result #1 Desk Research

IO1.Desk Research_Virtual_Platform

The Desk Research for this project was conducted by KU Leuven, the research project partner, with coordination by CSCF. The research focused on the match-fixing situation affecting, and actions taken within, each program country. The objective of the research report was to understand, for each partner country, the mitigating factors, authorities responsible, and any issues related to sport competition manipulation and to serve as a background for the implementation phase.

A 140+ page report was produced. The output reflects the input of representatives of all local program countries and institutional partners. This report also includes academic research involving a systematic review of the match-fixing literature, analysis of media reports, legal documents, information provided by partners, and the various interviews and reports from the partner countries (Georgia, Sweden, Estonia, Finland, Malta, and Cyprus).

Result #2 Report of Fact finding missions

IO2 – Report of Fact finding missions on the match-fixing situation and understanding in each of the Program Countries

This is a report primarily of the 6 Fact-finding Missions that were implemented in each country. It also includes the relevant Desk Research and pre-implementation phase Survey of participants. The project team and institutional project partners conducted interviews with local stakeholders (ministries, judicial authorities, sport associations, betting regulators) to understand each interviewee’s perspective on the issue of sport manipulation (match-fixing) and related criminal activities. The output of the activity provided tailor-made information used for the target groups during the Awareness Raising Practical Sessions.

Result #3 Survey 1

IO3 – Report on Surveying of participants before the trainings/workshops (Survey 1)

The report was based on a 20–40-minute survey (Survey 1) delivered as a standardized assessment of various roles and experience levels of individuals relevant to the fight against sport manipulation in the country partners. The survey comprised closed and open questions, and was available in Estonian, Finnish, Swedish, Georgian, Greek, and English. It was administered via a closed, subscription-based online survey platform (Qualtrics). Survey data was recorded anonymously. Participants included employees in LEA and JA organizations working on sports manipulation cases, representatives from the partner countries, those working in sport federations, sport organizations, integrity committees, and government ministries. The standardized format of the survey ensured comparability in time and geography, which allowed the possibility of tracking changes, identifying unique situations in different organizations, and quantitatively tracking the success of the project over time.

Result #4 ARS Cyprus

IO4 – Curriculum of the Awareness Raising Practical Session – Cyprus

This curriculum was prepared by CSCF in collaboration with the Cyprus Police. The purpose of the curriculum was to allow participants to fully understand the phenomenon and the motives of the sport competition manipulation that impacts sports in Cyprus focusing specifically on investigations and prosecutions. This document formed the basis of the tailored Awareness Raising Practical Session and was based on the research performed in the previous phase of the project and Cyprus’ involvement in the previous project edition. The curriculum addresses all the aspects, modus operandi, legal and policy issues that should be used in sport manipulation related investigations and prosecution. It includes the presentations of all lecturers, as well as case studies and other materials relevant to the situation in Cyprus.

Result #5 ARS Estonia

IO5 – Curriculum of the Awareness Raising Practical Session – Estonia

This curriculum was prepared by CSCF in collaboration with the Estonian Police and Border Guard Office. The purpose of the curriculum was to allow participants to fully understand the phenomenon and the motives of the sport competition manipulation that impacts sports in Estonia focusing specifically on investigations and prosecutions. This document formed the basis of the tailored Awareness Raising Practical Session and was based on the research performed in the previous phase of the project. The curriculum addresses all the aspects, modus operandi, legal and policy issues that should be used in sport manipulation related investigations and prosecution. It includes the presentations of all lecturers, as well as case studies and other materials relevant to the situation in Estonia.

Result #6 ARS Finland

IO6 – Curriculum of the Awareness Raising Practical Session – Finland

This curriculum was prepared by CSCF Sport Integrity in collaboration with FINCIS. The purpose of the curriculum was to allow participants to fully understand the phenomenon and the motives of the sport competition manipulation that impacts sports in Finland focusing specifically on investigations and prosecutions. This document formed the basis of the tailored Awareness Raising Practical Session and was based on the research performed in the previous phase of the project and Finland’s involvement in the previous project edition. The curriculum addresses all the aspects, modus operandi, legal and policy issues that should be used in sport manipulation related investigations and prosecution. It includes the presentations of all lecturers, as well as case studies and other materials relevant to the situation in Finland.

Result #7 ARS Georgia

IO7 – Curriculum of the Awareness Raising Practical Session – Georgia

This curriculum was prepared by CSCF Sport Integrity in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture of Georgia. The purpose of the curriculum was to allow participants to fully understand the phenomenon and the motives of the sport competition manipulation that impacts sports in Georgia focusing specifically on investigations and prosecutions. This document formed the basis of the tailored Awareness Raising Practical Session and was based on the research performed in the previous phase of the project. The curriculum addresses all the aspects, modus operandi, legal and policy issues that should be used in sport manipulation related investigations and prosecution. It includes the presentations of all lecturers, as well as case studies and other materials relevant to the situation in Georgia.

Result #8 ARS Malta

IO8 – Curriculum of the Awareness Raising Practical Session – Malta

This curriculum was prepared by CSCF Sport Integrity in collaboration with the Malta Police. The purpose of the curriculum was to allow participants to fully understand the phenomenon and the motives of the sport competition manipulation that impacts sports in Malta focusing specifically on investigations and prosecutions. This document formed the basis of the tailored Awareness Raising Practical Session and was based on the research performed in the previous phase of the project. The curriculum addresses all the aspects, modus operandi, legal and policy issues that should be used in sport manipulation related investigations and prosecution. It includes the presentations of all lecturers, as well as case studies and other materials relevant to the situation in Malta.

Result #9 ARS Sweden

IO9 – Curriculum of the Awareness Raising Practical Session – Sweden

This curriculum was prepared by CSCF Sport Integrity in collaboration with Swedish Sports Confederation. The purpose of the curriculum was to allow participants to fully understand the phenomenon and the motives of the sport competition manipulation that impacts sports in Sweden focusing specifically on investigations and prosecutions. This document formed the basis of the tailored Awareness Raising Practical Session and was based on the research performed in the previous phase of the project. The curriculum addresses all the aspects, modus operandi, legal and policy issues that should be used in sport manipulation related investigations and prosecution. It includes the presentations of all lecturers, as well as case studies and other materials relevant to the situation in Sweden.

Result #10 Survey 2

IO10 – Evaluation of the effectiveness of trainings and operational support (Survey 2)

This Evaluation provides an overview of the findings from the second of three surveys. This survey was conducted immediately after each awareness raising session to assess project implementation, provide feedback on the session, and to inform the development of the proposed strategy document and conference materials. It aimed specifically to: 1) Collect feedback on the trainings themselves (KPIs: meeting Satisfaction NPS and meeting Usefulness NPS); 2) Compare the knowledge of participants to that of Survey 1 (IO3), as a form of tracking the effectiveness of the trainings; 3) Gather information for quantifiable KPIs that would help track and compare with a survey taken a sustained time after the trainings (Survey 3-IO10). The data was collected and analysed by KU Leuven from September 27 – October 22 2021 (Estonia), November 1 – 26 2021 (Finland), November 22 – December 17 2021 (Sweden), June 29-30 2022 (Georgia), March 28 – April 22 2022 ( Cyprus), and April 25 – May 20 2022 (Malta).

Result #11 Interim project report

IO11 – Interim project report

This report provides a clear overview of the status of the activities of the project at the halfway point. The report also contains data and conclusions that impacted the strategic direction of IntegriSport Next and steered the Project towards the issues that needed to be addressed for the second half of the Project. 

The report outlines the distinct phases of the project, highlighting the key elements of the phases completed in the first half of the project (Preparation, Implementation, Monitoring). The Preparation phase is summarized, namely the desk research, the fact-finding missions, and surveys. The report then moves on to the Implementation phase, which includes the awareness raising sessions and peer-to-peer meetings. Finally, the Monitoring phase is described in detail, which includes the various Board Meetings, project administration, and evaluation of training effectiveness (Survey 2 – IO10).

Result #12 Survey 3

IO12 – Follow-up survey and report of previous ARPS and Operational support participants (Survey 3)

The third and final Survey includes data collected from a sustained period after the awareness raising sessions held in each partner country. This report presents the key results from all six countries (Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Georgia, Cyprus and Malta). The document provides an overview of the final survey used to understand the factual changes in the various countries, organizations and individuals following in the time after the (a) ARPS/workshops and (b) Operational support was held. The specific outcomes of this survey aimed to:

1) Compare the knowledge, attitudes, and experiences of participants to that of Surveys 1 (IO3) and 2 (IO10), as a way to track the effectiveness of the trainings.

2) Gather information for quantifiable performance indicators that helped track and compare after the trainings.

3) Identify which individual plans came to fruition, which are in progress and which are facing hurdles.

Result #13 IntegriSport Next Practical Guide

IO13. Practical Guide

The IntegriSport Next Practical Guide is a document with an operational and a strategic focus, targeted towards Law Enforcement and Judicial professionals, including technical knowledge for investigating and prosecuting sport-manipulation cases. The document is also aimed for exposure to stakeholders who were unable to participate in the project training sessions and to a wider audience. Transferability was a key objective. The Guide contains general information on the sport manipulation situation in the Program Countries, with special emphasis on their history, legal background and the aspects of manipulation. It summarizes project findings and provides general conclusions and recommendations on the gathered data. Feedback was welcomed from participants of the sessions, and was used to finetune the document during the project lifetime and maximize its potential usability and sustained impact. The document acts as a practical reference and guide.

Result #14 Virtual platform

IO14 – Virtual Networking and Information Platform

This project output is a web-based platform containing up-to-date materials and resources on good practices against match fixing, as well as the Intellectual Outputs relevant to the IntegriSport Next Project. The platform is meant to facilitate knowledge exchange and is freely accessible to LEA and JA experts of the partner countries and the institutional project partners. Its aim is to maintain sustained networking and an exchange of best practices as partners of the first Integrisport project (2019-2021) and the future edition (Integrisport 3.0 2022-2023) are and will be included. The materials from the previous project edition also remain on the platform.

Thank you for your support, because in Estonia, these kinds of topics are, sometimes, quite unknown and underground, and we are interested in solutions. So, we are grateful for this project and the help in the fight against manipulation in sport

Remo Perli

Estonian Police and Border Guard Board

I do not think that sports integrity issues are the main task of Estonian Law Enforcement, but these kinds of projects [IntegriSport Next E+] contribute to raising awareness about what exactly is the framework for the manipulation of sport competitions.