Professional Football Joins SIGA & Scores Goal in first SIGA-Soccerex Webinar

The Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA) and Soccerex’s first Webinar on "COVID 360°: Where does football go now?" was broadcast live yesterday to over seven hundred people from around the globe.

Moderated by CNN sports anchor Amanda Davies, participants tuned in from every continent to watch the leagues, clubs and players’ unions and sport integrity chiefs discuss how they are dealing with the challenges posed by the current global pandemic and its sporting and financial impact, as well as how to continue advancing the necessary governance and integrity reforms.

Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros, CEO of SIGA and Chairman and CEO of SIGA AMERICA said:

"The pain and uncertainty about the future are enormous. If there is a moment where leadership has to emerge, bridges have to be built and consensus must be found, it is now. This is a time for collective responsibility, and for all stakeholders to put aside what is irrelevant and focus on what is truly essential. A time to unite; not to divide. A time to be the best we can, constructive and solution oriented. Fortunately, we are seeing examples of this maturity, and leadership, across sport. The way the sporting industry will continue responding to the challenges in the weeks and months to come will determine its future!"

Lars Christer-Olsson, President of the European Leagues stated:

"This is the biggest crisis that has happened to football since World War II. So it’s a totally new situation for all of us. There is a risk for sport itself of course. The most eminent worry is the finances and whether the clubs are able to survive or not. We need to think how to rebuild football after the crisis and to do that we have to find solutions which benefit the sport, not only a few."

Michele Centenaro, Executive Board Member of the European Club Association (ECA) commented:

"I welcome this opportunity to share views on how football is managing the immediate impact of this crisis. Coming together and engaging in an open and constructive discussion is a sign of a mature and forward-looking industry. Ultimately we are all focused on restarting the game safely and in full alignment with public health needs so that we can bring back the pleasure to the millions of fans and the many whose livelihoods are dependent on the game."

Focusing on the players’ perspective, Jonas Baer-Hoffmann, General Secretary of FIFPRO commented:

"It’s very easy to fall into a rhythm of putting out fires during this crisis but we also need to look at the football industry as a whole. After the pandemic, football will very likely be smaller from an economic point of view but that doesn’t mean we can’t rebuild it so that it is stronger, more equal and more sustainable. One thing that the last few weeks has shown is the value of democracy and good decision-making involving all stakeholders: players, clubs, leagues and federations."

The SIGA-Soccerex Webinar Series occurs every three weeks, with the second Webinar taking place on Wednesday 20 May 2020 at 15.00 UK time. Designed to be dynamic, informative and interactive, online delegates can send questions in advance to specific sports industry leaders as well as ask questions in real time.

Exciting speaker and hot topic announcements coming soon. Watch this space for the registration link to go live for the second edition in the coming days!

Click here to watch the first SIGA-Soccerex Webinar.

This is the fifteenth in a set of thirty boosting measures and initiatives being announced and developed by SIGA as part of the Alliance’s global campaign #SIGASTRIVES.

SIGA STRIVES Measure 16 will be announced on Tuesday 5th May 2020! Stay tuned.

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ABOUT SOCCEREX

Soccerex is the global leader for the business of soccer, with over two decades of experience in connecting the industry’s key industry stakeholders and promoting the growth of the game worldwide.

For 25 years, working closely with regional governments, football federations, major leagues and clubs, Soccerex have delivered 48 events in 21 different cities around the world, uniting over 70,000 business and soccer figures to further their different commercial and sporting objectives.

Soccerex’s portfolio is built around tentpole events in soccer’s key global markets – China, Europe and the Americas – that focus on the future of the game in each territory, with the support of leading leagues and governing bodies such as the Chinese Football Association, Concacaf, CSL, LaLiga, Liga Portugal, the Mexican Football Federations, MLS, NWSL, the Portuguese Football Federation, USL and the US Soccer Federation.

In addition, Soccerex provide industry news and insight in the form of daily industry news bulletins and bespoke market insight such as the Soccerex 20 Under 21 Report and the Soccerex Football Finance 100.

For more information on upcoming Soccerex events and insight products please go to www.soccerex.com

ABOUT SIGA

SIGA is the world´s largest coalition in the field of sports governance and integrity. Supported by more than 100 international multi-industry supporters, SIGA is an independent and neutral organisation whose mission is to bring about meaningful reforms and enhance the integrity of all sports through a set of universal standards operated by an independent and neutral body. SIGA is the only organisation to bring together sport, governments, academia, international organisations, sponsors, business, rights holders, NGOs and professional services companies, from every region in the world, around a common cause of fostering greater integrity throughout sport. Click on the hyperlinks for the list of SIGA Members and Committed Supporters and SIGA Partners.

For more information on SIGA, including its vision, mission and reform agenda, please refer to the website: www.siga-sport.com.

To contact SIGA, please email: comms@siga-sport.com.

Find SIGA on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SIGAlliance, Instagram at sigalliance and LinkedIN at https://www.linkedin.com/company/sigalliance/.

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