CBF and SIGA sign cooperation agreement to promote integrity in soccer

In a significant move for Brazilian soccer, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) and the Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA) have entered into a cooperation agreement aimed at bolstering the integrity of the sport. Announced in Rio de Janeiro, this collaboration marks a pivotal moment for football governance and integrity in Brazil, the nation celebrated for winning the FIFA World Cup five times.

This agreement positions Good Governance and Integrity as primary focus areas, launching a broad and thorough reform process. These reforms are intended to improve the sport’s integrity, reputation, and credibility within Brazil. This partnership extends SIGA’s existing involvement with various international and national sporting bodies, including the European Rugby League, the European Swimming League, the International Chess Federation, the São Paulo Football Federation, or the Portuguese Professional Football League, in addition to various leagues and national federations.

The leaders of both the CBF and SIGA signed the agreement, signaling a commitment to modernize Brazilian soccer, enhance the qualifications of its practitioners, and foster a culture of integrity according to SIGA’s Universal Standards.

CBF and SIGA partnership

The partnership will focus on several critical areas:

- Prevention and combat against all threats to the Integrity of soccer;

- Implementation of SIGA’s Universal Standards on Sport Integrity and SIGA’s Independent Rating and Verification System (SIRVS);

- Sharing of knowledge and implementation of best practices in terms of Good Governance in Sport, Financial Integrity and Transparency in Sport, Sports Betting Integrity, and Youth Development and Protection in Sport;

- Prevention and combat against racism, violence, and all forms of discrimination, as well as promotion of gender equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility;

- Organization of joint events, including conferences, workshops, and award ceremonies, such as the SIGA GRID Awards and the Brazilian Soccer Integrity Awards; and

- Active engagement in the institutional development of SIGA LATIN AMERICA and in SIGA’s global reform agenda in Brazil, promoting cordial relations and constructive cooperation with all relevant organizations, authorities, and partners in the sector.

CBF President Ednaldo Rodrigues underlined the significance of this partnership with SIGA, emphasizing its potential to shape the future of Brazilian soccer: “We have established a very important partnership to fight against all types of criminality that can affect Football, such as match-fixing, money laundering, racism, harassment. With expertise in all these topics, SIGA is the world’s largest institution in Sport Integrity. They operate independently, always ensuring that sport becomes cleaner and more transparent. We are doing the same here. SIGA will work with the Integrity Unit at CBF, which has been very engaged with all the major institutions in the world.

CBF’s tolerance for any type of crime in soccer is zero. Our work will be based on this partnership, and we will keep doing what we have always done also in conjunction with FIFA. As a FIFA member, we will continue to fly this flag in all countries. Today we took a very important step, and it will not be the only one. We will share more relevant news and partnerships in the near future”.

Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros, SIGA’s Global CEO and CEO of SIGA LATIN AMERICA, said: “Brazilian Football has a significance in the world that nobody can deny. This significance is not unrelated to its five World Cups and the genius with which Pelé, Garrincha, Zico, Sócrates, Ronaldo, and many others elevated soccer to the condition of art.

Brazilian Football, however, can and should be more than its past glories. It can and must look to the future and realize its potential. To be modern, competitive, and sustainable. With a reformist vision, future strategy, and long-term objectives. A Football of Causes, not Cases. Free of scandals, opportunists, and suspicions. Football regulated, managed, and administered under the highest standards of Good Governance and integrity. Capable of deserving the passion of the fans and justifying the legitimate expectations of all those who play, work, and invest in it.

Brazil can no longer wait – this is what I have been hearing from everyone I have spoken with. The window of opportunity is narrow, and there is, undoubtedly, a lot of work ahead. That is why we are here, kicking off with the signing of this cooperation agreement with the CBF and its President, whom I congratulate for taking this important step forward.

The signing of this agreement is not an end in itself, nor a blank check. On the contrary, it is a set of duties, a set of responsibilities that we embrace. That binds us both - SIGA and CBF. And we will materialize it! And it starts now!”