Launching Integriball 2.0: Advancing Football education in integrity for Youth and Women


Brussels, March 13, 2024 - Building upon the success of the Integriball Erasmus+ project, the CSCF Foundation for Sport Integrity proudly announces the rollout of Integriball 2.0. Today marks a significant milestone as partners of the project convene in Brussels to officially launch this highly anticipated initiative. This evolution reflects our ongoing dedication to delivering vital education and nurturing integrity among young and female football players.

The kickoff meeting of Integriball 2.0 marked a pivotal moment as key partners of the project came together to strategize and align their efforts. Discussions ranged from outlining the project's overarching goals to delineating specific action plans and timelines. Through open dialogue and shared vision, the partners reaffirmed their commitment to the project's mission, setting a solid foundation for future collaboration and impact.


About the project


This initiative aims to tackle crucial sports integrity issues, including the prevention of match-fixing, ensuring player safety through safeguarding measures, and promoting the significance of whistleblowing. Over the next two years, our objective is to enhance the educational resources available to federations and provide direct training to players in three countries: Estonia, Georgia, and Romania.


Partners of Integriball 2.0 include the coordinator and content expert CSCF Foundation for Sport Integrity, the country partners, Eesti Jalgpalli LIIT (EJL), The Georgian Football Federation (GFF), and Federatia Romana De Fotbal (FRF), the partner organizations Berkeley Global Society (BGS), and United Lotteries for Integrity in Sports (ULIS) and the supporting partner UEFA. This collaborative partnership fortifies the initiative, laying a strong foundation for its success.


Integriball 2.0 seeks to evaluate the level of knowledge on match-fixing, safeguarding, and whistleblowing protocols. Based on the assessment results, customized education programs will be developed and distributed in participating countries. The project's primary aim is to widely disseminate essential knowledge on countering sports manipulation, safeguarding practices, and whistleblowing mechanisms, ensuring accessibility for youth and female players alike. Through targeted education and empowerment initiatives, our goal is to foster a sporting environment that prioritizes integrity and inclusivity.


Since its inception, the program has made significant strides within football communities across eight countries: Belgium, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Greece, Malta and now Estonia, Georgia and Romania paving the way for a more secure, inclusive, and ethically-driven sports landscape.


“With Integriball 2.0, we continue our efforts to promote integrity within football, reaching out to young and female players with essential education on the matter," stated Norbert Rubicsek, Director at CSCF. "We are dedicated to making a difference and look forward to the advancements this initiative will bring.”


About CSCF


The CSCF Foundation for Sport Integrity is an organization committed to enhancing integrity, transparency, and ethics in sports across the globe. We offer education, advice, and risk management support to sports organizations, law enforcement, governmental bodies, and the betting industry, addressing key ethical and integrity challenges.

As Integriball 2.0 coordinators and a premier content provider, we drive this unique initiative, committed to the cause of sports integrity.


About Integriball 2.0 partners


Eesti Jalgpalli LIIT (EJL): EJL, or the Estonian Football Association, is the governing body for football in Estonia. As a partner in Integriball 2.0, EJL represents the importance of integrity in sports governance at a national level. By ensuring fair play, transparency, and ethical conduct within Estonian football, EJL contributes to fostering integrity both on and off the field.


The Georgian Football Federation (GFF): GFF serves as the governing body for football in Georgia. Through its involvement in Integriball 2.0, GFF emphasizes the significance of integrity in sports development within the country. By promoting integrity in football administration, player conduct, and fan engagement, GFF plays a crucial role in upholding the values of fairness and honesty in Georgian football.


Federatia Romana De Fotbal (FRF): FRF, or the Romanian Football Federation, is responsible for overseeing football activities in Romania. As a partner in Integriball 2.0, FRF underscores the importance of integrity in football governance and competition. FRF's commitment to combating corruption, match-fixing, and other integrity-related issues within Romanian football highlights its dedication to preserving the sport's credibility and ethical standards.


Berkeley Global Society (BGS): BGS is an organization focused on global issues, including integrity in sports. As a partner in Integriball 2.0, BGS brings expertise in ethical leadership, anti-corruption measures, and transparency initiatives. By collaborating with football federations and other stakeholders, BGS contributes to advancing integrity principles and best practices in the sports industry worldwide.


United Lotteries for Integrity in Sports (ULIS): ULIS is dedicated to promoting integrity and fair play in sports through collaboration with lottery organizations. As a partner in Integriball 2.0, ULIS emphasizes the role of sports betting integrity in maintaining the credibility of football competitions. By implementing measures to prevent match manipulation and illegal betting activities, ULIS helps safeguard the integrity of football and protects the interests of fans, athletes, and stakeholders.



For further information about Integriball 2.0 and opportunities for involvement, please contact: Integriball2.admin@cscfsport.com

Disclaimer: The project is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EACEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

CSCF Foundation for Sport Integrity and Ministry of Youth and Sports of Bulgaria jointly hosted a landmark conference on combating sport and esport crimes in Sofia.


Sofia, Bulgaria – March 6th and 7th, 2024 – In a significant step towards combating manipulation and criminality in sports and esports, Bulgaria hosted the 5th Awareness Raising Practical Session under Integrisport 3.0 frame. Co-organized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Bulgaria and CSCF Sport Integrity Group, the event focused on bolstering capabilities across law enforcement, judiciary, sports organizations, and ministries to protect sports integrity across Bulgaria.

About the Integrisport Project

Integrisport 3.0 is a project established to provide theoretical and practical support for law enforcement and judiciaries to tackle sport manipulation and crimes in sports in the six program countries: Austria, Bulgaria, Estonia, Greece, Romania, and Spain, co-financed by the European Union.


About the event

The Awareness Raising Practical Sessions was inaugurated by Professor Daniela Dasheva, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, and Mr. Hristo Stefanov, Deputy Minister of Interior, highlighting the government's commitment to eradicating corruption in sports and providing a crucial support for propelling the project forward. They expressed the importance of educating law enforcement officials and warmly embraced Integrisport 3.0 project, which is dedicated to addressing this critical issue.

The event has witnessed an unprecedented level of participation from a diverse group of stakeholders, drawing 110 attendees that included over 70 individuals from different departments of the National Police and the Prosecution Office. Noteworthy among these were representatives from various sports federations—such as the National Football Federation, the National Basketball Federation, the National Tennis Federation, the Bulgarian Esport Federation, and the Bulgarian Olympic Committee —as well as members from relevant ministries and regulatory authorities. High-level representatives and operational staff from these entities have convened to deliberate on strategies for maintaining the integrity of sports and esports, addressing the multifaceted challenges these fields face.

The CSCF content experts, along with those from our project partners Ministry of Youth and Sports of Bulgaria, ULIS, Play Fair Code, and our supporting partner FIFPRO, have provided invaluable insights during the event sessions. Their expertise, combined with the contributions of the Maltese Police Force and international bodies such as Europol and Interpol, has enhanced the collaborative efforts to effectively address the complexities of combating crime in both sports and esports.


The event was attended by students from the Bulgarian Police Academy. These active students not only contributed to the discussions but, by learning about the topics the event offered, ensured the sustainability of the knowledge of the future Bulgarian Police gained in the topic.

After the conference, a side event took place within the framework of the Integrisport 3.0 project, where members of the Bulgarian National Platform and CSCF met to discuss the possible reactivation of the national platform and further building its foundations. The participating members, including the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the National Police, the National Revenue Office, and the Prosecution Service, reported positively on the next steps for activating the platform.

“To the young sports hopefuls and esteemed educators from the National Academy of Sciences, I emphasize a fundamental truth: while results undoubtedly hold significance in the realm of sports, let us not forget that true victory is forged through the crucible of relentless dedication and unwavering effort. Success is not merely an outcome but a journey, where hard work becomes the steadfast companion on the path to greatness." - Prof. Dasheva, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports of Bulgaria.

Hristo Stefanov, Deputy Minister of Interior noted that "We accept sports as a challenge, spirit and strength, as an alternative for our children to have a cleaner and better environment in which to build themselves. But the coin has two sides, and sometimes sport, as a fair game, faces the temptation to manipulate the results. Then, in the style of sports terminology, the game is transferred to the field of law enforcement authorities, who are required to find the truth, so that the main idea of fair play can be fulfilled,"

Norbert Rubicsek, CSCF Foundation for Sport Integrity ‘s Director, shared his insights, stating, “Within the context of the Integrisport 3.0 project, our aim extends beyond mere acknowledgment of these issues; it is about fostering a comprehensive understanding and actionable strategies. By convening representatives from various sectors, including law enforcement agencies, judiciaries, ministries, sports federations, and other essential stakeholders, we create a forum for robust dialogue and knowledge exchange. Through these exchanges, we illuminate the multifaceted nature of sports manipulation and crime in sports and underscore the urgent need for coordinated action. The active involvement of ministers and stakeholders is pivotal in amplifying awareness on crime in sports, sports manipulation, and other integrity threats. Together, we are driving crucial conversations and collaborative actions to safeguard the purity of sports and esports."

This conference served as a crucial platform for dialogue, knowledge exchange, and strategic planning in the battle against corruption and manipulation within the realm of sports and esports. By bringing together experts and stakeholders from various sectors, CSCF and Ministry of Youth and Sports of Bulgaria are setting a new standard for collaborative efforts in safeguarding the integrity of sports.

About CSCF

CSCF Foundation for Sport Integrity, the driving strength behind this unique initiative, has consistently championed the cause of sports integrity. CSCF boasts its strength in facilitating the creation of opportunities in sports, for effective and innovative programs and partnerships. CSCF partners with organizations around the world to provide complex and high-quality education and training to sport organizations, and law enforcement, judiciaries, ministries, and other such transnational organizations on multiple integrity issues, as well as on effective investigations, whistle blowing systems etc. Our commitment to this noble effort acknowledges the importance of collective action to effectively combat manipulation within the world of sports around the world.

About Ministry of Youth and Sport of Bulgaria

The Ministry of Youth and Sports implements the unified state policy in the field of youth, sports and social tourism. Since its establishment, the ministry has played a fundamental role in the growth and promotion of sports in Bulgaria, as well as in creating opportunities for youth in various areas of society. The Ministry of Youth and Sports of Bulgaria has made numerous significant contributions to the development of the sports industry in the country. This includes implementing programs and policies aimed at improving sports infrastructure, supporting talented athletes, and promoting sports participation across all age groups and demographics.

For media inquiries, please contact: Integrisport3.admin@cscfsport.com

Disclaimer: The project is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EACEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.