Together Against Match-Fixing

To protect the integrity of sporting competition and the credibility of German professional football, the DFL has implemented numerous preventive measures in partnership with the DFB, particularly with regard to preventing match fixing and betting fraud.

In 2012, these measures were brought together within the “Together against match-fixing” project (“Gemeinsam gegen Spielmanipulation”), which has since been continuously enhanced. It currently consists of four pillars: a training and information programme, rules and regulations, the ombudsman and competition monitoring.

The focal points of the project include informing players, coaches, referees, club employees, officials and related persons about the risks of match-fixing and gambling addiction at an early stage and in a preventive capacity, simplifying reporting channels and raising public awareness.

To simplify confidential whistleblowing, the position of joint ombudsman was established by the DFL and DFB in 2011. In his function as ombudsman, the lawyer Dr. Carsten Thiel von Herff receives confidential tip-offs about planned or agreed match-fixing or other irregularities in football.

Since the start of the 2018-19 season, the professional squads of all 36 Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 clubs have been statutorily obliged to participate in match-fixing prevention training. This annual training obligation had already been in place for junior players (U16-U19) at the youth academies since the 2014-15 season. Demonstrating compliance with these preventive measures is one of the conditions for obtaining a licence to compete in the respective league.

More information on this topic can be found at gemeinsam-gegen-spielmanipulation.de.