Varese, a code of ethics against sport fraud

An internal code of ethics, an international certification, a clause in the contract signed by players in the name of transparency and of athletes’ and societies’ protection, due to football betting scandals. Varese 1910 lines up the management – and first of all president Antonio Rosati – and his lawyers, not only in order to return to the fight carried out last summer to reach Serie A, but also in order to avoid that offences plague catch on around Masnago where, up to now, we have not had news about “dangerous” behaviour in the area of inquiries on bets.

Rosati carried out a firm and innovative intervention, still now disappointed with the facts happened in different societies, white and red football team’s contenders (Atlanta and Doni are the most important cases, but the inquiry also involves other clubs and their players) and he wants to tread a path that could be an example for his colleagues, who are presidents too. Andrea Abodi, Serie B number one, applauded the measure. His phone intervention with Villa Recalcati – where the Varese team explained the project – was cancelled due to a technical problem, which does not weaken his unqualified support.

Varese 1910 society provided itself with an nternal code of ethics, a document to which all the season ticket holders and also different collaborators are required to adhere to. “Strict, written rules, which can’t be misinterpreted, in force from January and that we make official today” Rosati clarified. “As president, I want Varese team to escape unharmed from these problems that are polluting the sports world. I also wanted that the society obtained SA8000 certification, a document that few people have and that deals with ethical behaviour of an enterprise or of a club.” Lawyers Stefano Amirante and Giuseppe Rosati, patron’s brother, explained in detail the action. “In addition to code of ethics and certification, we studied a special clause to insert in the contracts of the single players” explained Amirante. “First of all to protect the players and then the club in case of betting or ethical behaviour. A paragraph already inserted, for example, in the contract of Rivas and that will be inserted in those of the other players. The clause ensures that Varese makes a penal and sporting consultancy for all season ticket holders to approach in the best way the obligations given from their professional condition and interact with them if someone is implied in illegal activities. The same clause also sees that in the case where the rules of the society are broken, a process could start straight away and up to 100% of the wages could be deducted as well as the possibility of firing a player that is deemed “untrustworthy”. Pratically, Varese searches to reduce to a minimum the damage caused by liability also because the players, at the moment of signing the clause, auto certificate that they do not take part in illicit activities.

In fact yesterday, before the Sunday training, the same Amirante took part in a meeting in the red and white dressing room in which he explained in detail what are the obligations of professional football players and what behaviours should be kept in the case that there are illegal attempts. A “literacy” operation wanted by the Serie B league (the term is the one used by the group presided over by Abodi) to inform with precision the season ticket holders so that people are not left in the shadows.

“If a player or an authorised representative doesn’t want to accept our clause, the eventual engagement with be skipped” says Rosati without mincing words. “Either they change agent or they change squad. But I believe that it won’t happen because as well as protecting the society, with this intervention, we aim to help the players to not fall into illegal behaviour. I hope that in this sense, Varese can be the pacemaker also for other clubs. And I also hope that the penal inquiry in progress brings true justice to the issue of betting; the damage from last year by now has been done, now it is important that this story does not repeat”.