ECA agrees to expel clubs for match-fixing, racism

PanARMENIAN.Net - The European Club Association has agreed to expel members who have fixed football matches, just days after European police agency Europol issued a report showing the problem was widespread, AP reported.

The 200-member ECA, meeting in Qatar, approved on Wednesday, Feb 6 the measure that also allows it to kick clubs out for doping or racism. In the past, it only warned clubs for such behavior.

The clubs felt it was "their duty'' to act, ECA general secretary Michele Centenaro said, and he did not say whether the move was in response to a report from Europol on Monday that said more than 380 matches were suspicious, including Word Cup and European Championship qualifiers and two Champions League games.

"Before, it was sort of a warning, and now it is a duty and commitment we ask of our clubs,'' Centenaro said. "We are a responsible organization and we feel our members are committed to certain values and ... we defend those values. We felt it was our duty to do this as an association.''

Centenaro also said the ECA will be issuing a report by March on ways to combat match-fixing, which will have concrete proposals such as requiring all players to sign a document acknowledging the rules and the risk involved in fixing matches.