The Council of Europe will soon open negotiations about a binding convention and try to extend it beyond Europe

A new study for the European Commission maps for the first time the criminal law provisions against match-fixing in the European Union’s 27 countries. There is a need for closer cooperation and harmonisation, the report concludes.

In a meeting on Wednesday, a committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe took further steps in fighting unethical behaviour in sport when it unanimously adopted two resolutions proposing actions for ensuring good governance and ethics in sport and combatting match-fixing.

Comment: FIFA and the IOC have recently wasted a couple of good opportunities to discourage minor and major crooks at the start of the Olympic year.

The World Players Union (FIFPro) has published a new report on the working conditions for Eastern European football players, who must struggle every day with lacking salary payments, violence, racism and match-fixing.