Joint Statement by the FFU Arbitrators Committee and the FFU Ethics and Fair Play Committee

25.11.2018 18:54

In connection with the release of the latest critical publications and television stories on contract matches, the FFU Referees Committee and the FFU Ethics and Fair Play Committee report the following.

Over the past year, the Ethics and Fair Play Committee and the National Police of Ukraine have carried out intensive and significant work to investigate and prosecute those responsible for organizing and conducting contract matches. The committee of arbitrators also made an invaluable contribution to this work. However, given that the investigation and the formation of the evidence base are still ongoing, we are not yet able to disclose the details of the investigation and report on the current results of many months of work on specific cases involving certain referees, players or officials.

We are grateful to the media for their active attention to the topic and willingness to help in the fight against contract matches. But at the same time we draw the attention of journalists to the fact that the submission of certain media, including those that are directly or indirectly related to the owners of individual football clubs, certain aspects or facts of certain proceedings is openly biased and involves efforts to influence the results of investigations and consideration of cases in the bodies of football justice. Such actions harm the investigation and distort the real state of affairs in the issue of combating contractual matches. We appeal to all media and participants in this process with a request not to spread open manipulations, not to succumb to information provocations and wait for the official results of the investigation.