FIFA President Sepp Blatter warned Friday that the risk of match-fixing was huge and called on governments to help stamp out illegal betting which was threatening sport.
“The threat of match-fixing in sport is a major one,” said Blatter in his opening speech at the Sports Funding, Sponsoring and Sports Betting Congress here.
“Match fixing shakes the very foundations of sport, namely fair play, respect and discipline. That’s why FIFA employs a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to any infringement of these values.”
He added: “Football’s world governing body cannot take on the illegal gambling trade on its own and therefore requires the support of governments and their respective law enforcement divisions.”
Blatter, 75, has been FIFA President for 13 years and will be bidding for a fourth term in June, with his challenger Asian football chief Mohamed bin Hammam.
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Blatter urges govt help to tackle match-fixing