Awareness session held for club footballers on match-fixing

An awareness session on combating match-fixing was organized for members of the lower age groups (U-15-U-19) of "Qarabağ", "Zirə", "Qəbələ", "Turan Tovuz", "Araz-Naxçıvan" and "Kəpəz", as well as members of the main team of "Baku-Sporting" and "Difai" clubs. Sport24.az reports that the session was conducted by the AFFA's Compliance and Match-Fixing Prevention Department.

Naib Asadov, the head of the Compliance and Match-Fixing Prevention Department, who is also responsible for combating match-fixing, and Murad Mammadli, another employee of the department, who spoke at the training, provided detailed information to the footballers about the concept of match-fixing, the differences between ordinary mistakes made during the game and deliberately manipulated behavior, as well as the serious damage that such cases cause to the integrity and reputation of football. 

During the session, it was emphasized that footballers are not only athletes, but also carriers of values, and it was noted that principles such as fairness, integrity, responsibility and being an example play an important role in footballers' professional activities. The main motives of match-fixing, in which games manipulation cases occur more often, the role of sports betting in this process and the methods of influencing footballers were explained through a presentation. 

At the same time, discussions were held on practical situations related to the ethical duty of footballers, the steps they should take when faced with a suspicious or fixed match offer, and cases where silence also carries responsibility. Special attention was paid to approaches made through social media, the tools used by manipulators, and the importance of proper management of footballers' public and personal profiles. 

During the session, it was reported that the relevant articles of the Disciplinary Code adopted by AFFA in 2025 state that participation in match-fixing, attempts to do so, or concealment of information is considered a serious disciplinary violation, and specific examples from local and international experience were presented to the footballers. 

The main purpose of the awareness event is to protect transparency and integrity in the football community, strengthen the fight against match-fixing and increase the awareness of footballers in this area.