STRUCTURE AND CONSOLIDATION OF THE INTEGRITY DEPARTMENT

In 2013 LaLiga created the Integrity Department in order to adhere to a certain requirement under the Spanish legal system in terms of transparency, compliance with good governance rules by body corporate entities, and, in particular, to set up a system of training and prevention of match fixing (Liga BBVA and Liga Adelante) and for the fight against corruption in football.

Under Manuel Quintanar’s management, former Director of the Agency for the Safeguard of Health in Sports (Agencia para la Protección de la Salud en el Deporte) and former Deputy Representative of Government in Madrid and Rodrigo Arias, Head of Integrity, LaLiga’s Integrity Department has carried out a strong programme of compliance and introduction of good practices; corporate governance aimed at fraudulent practices in sports; auditing the regulation of sports gambling and betting on football matches under LaLiga; greater collaboration with relevant international organisations such as UEFA and FIFA and monitoring of any activity contrary to national law in the matter of diversity, violence in sports, xenophobia, racism or intolerance.

This department is also in charge of supervising all football matches under LaLiga through dedicated tasks such as monitoring, analysing and reporting on various Internet betting markets, whether before matches or live betting. This work is done in collaboration with specialist bookmakers as well as with an intelligence unit that deals with any suspicion or alarms raised regarding the integrity of the competitions.

Institutional collaboration with the Spanish National Police Force was intensified during the department’s second year through weekly meetings and analysing and reporting any incidents or alarm bells identified by LaLiga itself.

Concerning the protection of clubs members of LaLiga, the Integrity Department has introduced a good governance scheme whereby our clubs and Public Limited Sports companies are required to have a Compliance Programme in terms of integrity, thus ensuring compliance with the minimum good governance requirements applicable pursuant to Spanish legislation and thus making it mandatory for all members of LaLiga.

Other roles under this department are fostering relevant legal action against any form of audio-visual piracy, the application of measures against discrimination and racism in Spanish professional football and the protection of LaLiga’s official data.

TRAINING IN INTEGRITY. A STEP BEYOND

Having been successful with our integrity training workshops with the first team and with administrative staff from all clubs members of LaLiga, the Integrity Department decided that for the 2014/15 season we would extend such courses to an area of invaluable importance for LaLiga, namely, grassroots football.

From September to December, the Integrity Department authorities visited all youth teams under our main teams. Respect to diversity, fight against violence, rejection of racism and homophobia, risks of doping and good use of social media were some of the values that LaLiga communicated to our youth talent within our members.

From January to May 2015, the first teams and directors participated in an integrity training course, paying special attention to the relevant messages reaching our players (first and second teams), coaching and medical teams, directors and employees. For this second year, the course included an update on incidents and potential risky situations that arose during the season, relying on the foundations of the first year in terms of any manipulation, alteration and pre-determination of football match outcomes, codes of conduct for betting and the use of confidential and privileged information by the means made available by LaLiga for its prevention. This includes LaLiga’s own monitoring structure and the supervision of betting markets before and during matches, as well as live viewing of those matches, coordinating with match managers for each day and collaboration with law enforcement bodies in this respect.

This training model in integrity has caught the eye of other European professional football leagues. The work carried out by the Integrity Department of LaLiga is seen as a model to follow in their competitions. We have advised the Israeli League, for instance, after an invitation extended to us by them in April 2015. We were consulted on the department itself and there was an expression of interest regarding our training programme.

OFFICIAL DATA PROTECTION FOR BOOKMAKERS

The Integrity Department has introduced a new marketing project for LaLiga’s official data, where integrity is key for its development. The department coordinates assistance to all matches under LaLiga with the logistical support of the Competitions Department, official scouts who collect specific and simple data relevant to the betting markets at global level.

Through this initiative, the department also intends to prevent the unauthorised collection of data during our own matches, as the irregular use of such data may entail risky situations for the integrity of the competition. This is an innovative project that allows LaLiga to keep its pioneer status and to consolidate itself in the fight against any risk or threat to the integrity of competitions, not only from the sports perspective, but also in terms of the rights of clubs and the Liga itself.