Italy’s third-tier soccer division, Lega Pro, has topped-up on its existing partnership with match-fixing detection specialists Sportradar.
The new three-year extension allows Sportradar to continue monitoring Lega Pro matches using its Fraud Detection System while also provide educational Fraud Prevention Service workshops to all the players, coaches, and management of the league until the completion of the 2017-2018 season.
Lega Pro, which is split into three groups—North and Sardinia, Central, and South—is one of the first leagues to adopt Sportradar’s Fraud Prevention Services, having begun its partnership with the security company in 2011.
“The seamless, global monitoring of the global betting market, paired with the education of our players, managers, executive staff and referees has been instrumental in changing awareness and behavior,” Lega Pro President Mario Macalli said in a statement.
“In the coming weeks, the ‘Lega Pro Integrity Tour’ will target the clubs taking part in our ‘Championship of the Municipalities’ and will show once again to our fans and stakeholders that we are fully committed to honest football”.
Sportradar Managing Director Andreas Krannich shared Macalli’s statements, calling the extension as a continuation of a partnership that has educated over “10,000 players, youth players, referees as well as off-pitch staff”.
“Lega Pro is a case study for a robust approach, followed by commitment and action,” Krannich added.
It’s too bad that the Italian Tennis Federation (FIT) isn’t using Sportradar after two Italian tennis players, Daniele Bracciali and Potito Starace, have found themselves right smack in the middle of corruption accusations.
Bracciali and Starace are under suspicion of throwing tennis matches after investigators intercepted separate online Skype conversations the duo had where they admitted to “arranging matches” they were involved in. Bracciali is suspected to have thrown a match in Newport, Rhode Island against Scoville Jenkins, who went on and won the match 6-2, 6-1. Meanwhile, Starace’s loss to Pablo Andujar, 6-1, 6-2 at the finals of a tournament in Casablanca has also been tagged in the investigation.
Prosecutor Roberto Di Martino confirmed the authenticity of the conversations but refused to elaborate on the ongoing investigations.
“If the inquiry confirms what went on in the intercepted conversations published by the newspapers then we’ll be dealing with serious and intolerable offenses,” FIT president Angelo Binaghi said in a statement.
