UEFA and Interpol work to combat match-fixing

European football governing body UEFA is joining forces with Interpol to further reinforce the working relationship between the two organisations and to help resolve football-related crimes like match-fixing.

UEFA president Michel Platini and Interpol secretary general Ronald Noble identified a number of areas for co-operation between the two organisations in combatting football-related crimes, including match-fixing and violence in stadiums during a meeting at UEFA headquarters yesterday.

"For UEFA, the ongoing fight against match-fixing is one of the most important priorities in my second term as UEFA president," said Platini. "By agreeing to sign a memorandum of understanding with Interpol, and by working closely with their network and through our betting fraud detection system, the net is now tightening on those involved in match-fixing and illegal sports betting."

"Clearly match-fixing is a worldwide issue," said Noble. "Interpol is ideally placed to help UEFA, FIFA and all footballing professionals tackle the issue effectively at a global level, but at the same time it is important not to lose sight of other types of crime which can affect the sport.

"I can confidently say that the collaboration that already exists between UEFA and INTERPOL in tackling the issue of match-fixing will become even closer," added Noble.

With Interpol already set to provide support ahead of and during the UEFA Euro 2012 final tournament, through the deployment of major events support teams to the two host countries, Poland and Ukraine, the framework is already in place for closer liaison in combatting all forms of criminality to better protect the sport, as well as its players, officials and fans.

As part of the support being provided by Interpol during UEFA EURO 2012, the teams deployed to Poland and Ukraine will liaise with all 190 member countries to facilitate the real-time exchange of messages and key police intelligence including fingerprints, wanted persons notices and data relating to stolen and lost travel documents and stolen motor vehicles.