Brazil aims for September talks on football integrity

The Sports Commission of the Chamber of Deputies of Brazil has demanded that national stakeholders come together this September to discuss the integrity concerns of Brazilian football.

Brasília will host its ‘Sports Integrity Week‘ in September, during which the Sports Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA) will present its ‘independent integrity report’ on Brazilian football (5 September).

The event has been organised by the ‘Parliamentary Front for the Modernisation of Football’ – which has urged national stakeholders, including the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), state federations, Series A and B clubs, athletes, and associations, to establish an open dialogue on football integrity.

The event will see SIGA host a special session that will include a public hearing sponsored by the Special Subcommittee dedicated to the modernisation of Brazilian football.

“The existing positive dialogue between the parties will be formalised through a Cooperation Agreement, which will highlight the official presentation of the independent report on the future of football in Brazil led by SIGA Latin America,” SIGA explained.

The Parliamentary Front for the Modernisation of Football is a cross-party group led by Congressman and former Flamengo RC President, Eduardo Bandeira de Mello, who stated: “Our goal is to boost football through public policies, promoting improvement and modernisation anchored in environmental, social, and governance principles.

It’s essential to engage in deeper discussions with the clubs to ensure financial fair play and sustainability.”

As it stands, Brazilian ministers and football stakeholders await the Parliamentary Investigation Commission (CPI) to submit its report on “betting fraud and match-fixing scandals”.

The CPI has been tasked with reviewing the year-on-year betting fraud scandals that rocked the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, Série B, and state championships from 2021 to 2023.

The report was delayed following an intervention by Arthur Lira, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, who demanded that the CPI prioritise reviewing the fiscal and economic proposals of Brazil’s pending federal sports betting framework.

In July, President Lula da Silva formally signed the ‘provisional measure No. 1182‘ – putting forward the legislative demands to establish a federally regulated sports betting market.

The proposed framework primarily outlined desired policies on taxation, licensing, establishing a regulatory body, and the allocation of funds raised by sports betting. However, the proposal detailed no policies on betting integrity and match-fixing protections.

Put forward to Congress, the provisional measure for sports betting has received over 250 amendments submitted by MPs to reform Lula’s proposals. Congress began its 120-day review of the provisional measure on 3 August.