AFFA Compliance and Match Fixing Section organized an educational session on match fixing for referees who have Grade 3, 4 and 5 licenses, as well as female referees.
Before the session, tests were conducted to assess the level of knowledge of the referees. The results showed that most referees had a good understanding of their duties and responsibilities on the topic.
During the session, Naib Asadov, Head of AFFA Compliance and Match Fixing Section, as well as the UEFA person responsible for match integrity and another staff member of the Section, Murad Mammadli provided detailed information to the referees about the concept of match fixing, the differences between normal refereeing decisions made during a match and those that were deliberately manipulated, as well as the serious damage such cases cause to the integrity and reputation of football.
The experts spoke extensively about the crucial role that referees play in the game process and the importance of protecting this role from any outside influence. It was noted that in the context of match fixing, referee decisions are considered one of the most sensitive points, and therefore the professional behavior of referees requires constant high control and responsibility.
During the session, it was emphasized that referees are not only the ones who control the game, but also the main guarantors of the principles of justice and integrity in football. It was noted that objectivity, principledness, impartiality and high professional ethics are an integral part of refereeing and that maintaining these principles is of crucial importance for the credibility of football. The main motives of the matches discussed, in which games manipulation cases occur most often, the role of sports betting in this process and possible methods of influencing referees were explained through the presentation.
At the same time, the ethical duty of referees, the steps they should take when faced with a suspicious or fixed-match offer, the need to report such cases in a timely and correct manner, as well as the serious consequences that can result from withholding information were discussed based on practical situations. Special attention was paid to social media approaches, the tools used by manipulators, and the importance of properly managing referees' public and private profiles.
During the session, the relevant articles of AFFA Disciplinary Code adopted in 2025 were brought to the attention of the referees, it was emphasized that participation in match-fixing, attempts at such cases, or concealment of information is considered a serious disciplinary violation, and specific examples from local and international experience were also presented.
The main goal of the educational event is to maintain transparency and honesty in the football community, strengthen the fight against match-fixing, and further increase the level of responsibility and awareness of referees in this area.
