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Ecuador’s top football league, LigaPro, has taken a big step in its battle to protect the integrity of the sport. The league released an in-depth report titled “The Silent Fight for the Integrity of Ecuadorian Football“, detailing the legal, technical, and investigative measures taken since 2023 to avoid match-fixing, illegal gambling, and criminal structures that put players, clubs, and the face of the national game at risk.
A Systematic and Strategic Response
The initiative was proposed by LigaPro President Miguel Ángel Loor, who stressed the collective action of different institutions to defend Ecuadorian football. The report revolves around the work carried out by the Directorate of Integrity and Anti-Piracy, led by Gabriel Drouet, a talented investigator and former government official of the U.S. The unit was established to track, identify, and steer clear of manipulative practices that destroy fair play.
According to the paper, the Directorate’s activities were presented on three pillars:
- Internal Conduct Codes – Establishing tough ethical rules in clubs and administrative systems to prevent conflict of interest and suspicious practice.
- Disciplinary Investigations – Establishing thorough investigations into potential match fixing, in close collaboration with national and international security agencies.
- Legal Reform Campaigning – Pressuring Ecuador’s Comprehensive Organic Criminal Code (COIP) to be legislated to criminalize match-fixing as an official offense and to tighten up penalties related to audiovisual piracy.
Collaborating with National and International Organizations
LigaPro’s integrity policy was developed in close coordination with the Ecuadorian National Police and the Attorney General’s Office, institutions that have been dedicated to monitoring suspicious gambling and uncovering illegal networks.
Globally, the project was assisted by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which provided the project with expertise in the field of identification of transnational criminal networks and safeguarding sports against corruption by organized crime.
The document adds that illegal betting systems are targeting the Serie B league in particular, using loopholes and financial hardship to fix games for profit. The operation not only jeopardizes the careers of the players but also erodes the faith of the people in Ecuadorian football.
Strengthening the Battle for Integrity
In the concluding remarks of the report, Loor talked about the necessity to preserve and lengthen these activities through institutional reform and stronger legislation. He proposed:
- Enabling the COIP reform, officially proclaiming match-fixing a criminal act.
- Setting up a specialized Prosecutor’s Office for sports integrity and crime.
- Boosting police and judicial units dedicated to combating technological and betting crimes.
Additionally, Loor called for the establishment of a national public policy to announce football as a strategic national good and to have the state perform its role of defending its transparency and fairness. It would include regulating online betting operators effectively, partnering with the operators to prohibit unlawful content, and campaigns to inform players and staff of appropriate approaches.
A Model for Regional Integrity
LigaPro’s action places Ecuador in the lead of Latin America’s anti-corruption crusade in sports. With its collaboration with law enforcement, international aid, and active regulation, the league aims to create a tough and transparent football culture.
The study underscores that match-fixing is not just a sporting or legal matter; it is an institutional and ethical imperative. To quote Loor, it calls for football to “exercise vigilance, work together, and have the courage to act firmly against those who compromise the game’s integrity.”
During this “silent war“, Ecuador’s football leaders are showing that safeguarding fair play is not only a question of devotion to the sport but also of prudence and common determination to defend its future.
Source: YogoNet
