The allegations of corruption and grooming of football players in recent weeks have accelerated an old discussion. It was never so dramatic, loud and harmful. This is to the point of now demanding an energetic solution, under penalty of, once again, scrapping an industry with such promising and transformative potential as Brazilian football.
Let's remember the analogues of the 1980s, when we became aware of the Loteria Esportiva mafia. It was a criminal match-fixing scheme, revealed by a memorable journalistic effort. At the time, we were shocked and disillusioned, but we still had hope that the scandal would translate into lessons capable of generating edifying corrections. We seem to have learned nothing.
Now, the scenario is different. The virtualization of day-to-day activities through applications and digital platforms tends to amplify everything towards a disruption that can generate chaos. This is exactly what is happening with football betting in Brazil, with the potential to contaminate sporting activities as a whole.
In this field, the occurrences are scandalous. However, paradoxical as it may be, not everything is a catastrophe: what is coming to light can bring about deep reflection on ethics, transparency, governance and the vital importance of educating athletes and the entire football industry. Perhaps the biggest challenge is to reverse the process and turn the scandal into an innovation platform.
It seems easy to gain media prominence using the names of recruited athletes, without giving the same emphasis to the people and broader scheme of those who recruited them. The topic is complex. It cannot be approached without considering factors and agents of an ecosystem that goes far beyond athletes, clubs, federations, punters and betting sites. There are situations that expand the traditional football ecosystem and involve economic and political interests of individuals and the country.
It is good not to forget that the betting sites generate resources that count a lot for the government, interested, without a doubt, in the taxes that the sector can generate. But it is not possible to watch silently or passively the danger of these betting sites distorting the purpose of football and other sports. Regardless of whether you are for or against betting on sports games, they exist and will continue to exist. The time has come for strict regulation. The minimum is to make them observe the ethical rules; convert them to compliance. It is essential that Justice can operate sovereignly in the midst of the digital sports betting ecosystem.
It is legitimate to highlight the possible progress in fields such as the increased focus on integrity and transparency through digital innovation itself, whose technologies such as blockchain or artificial intelligence can assume a supervisory role through the tracking of assets and transactions, as well as security for companies, clubs, athletes and gamblers. Regarding regulation, a broad review of the purpose and impacts of betting is essential. In addition, fair and lawful practices must be ensured, including all amounts and agents of financial transactions.
The word “hope” may sound naive in this far from innocent 21st century. But it is still justified. Hope because such scandals can bring about changes in the way football is managed and regulated. Hope they bring more investment in development and training. Hope in which government authorities, investors, directors and leaders understand that football is a power of economic, social and cultural transformation, therefore it needs to evolve. Great hopes, finally, because it is indeed possible to direct and channel taxes (through the State) and profits (through the social responsibility of free enterprise) for the inclusion of athletes and for the formation of new leaders in sport.
Finally, may this scandal lead to the understanding that, even if betting exists in other sports and in many other ways, that they are supporting, because the reason for the existence of football is and must continue to be greater than a game of chance.
Hamilton dos Santos
Journalist and PhD in philosophy from USP, he is executive director of the Brazilian Association of Business Communication
Heloisa Rios
Specialist in strategy, innovation and ESG, she is a business advisor and partner-CEO of Universidade do Futebol
Source: O Globo
