FIFA Head of Security & Head of FIFpro to Speak at Soccerex European Forum

Soccerex have announced that Chris Eaton, discount FIFA Head of Security and Theo Van Seggelen, treatment Head of FIFpro (International Federation of Professional Footballers) are confirmed to speak on ‘Betting in Football’ at the Soccerex European Forum, 28-29 March 2012, Manchester.

With billions of pounds exchanged each year, betting in football is big business. This session will consider the growing commercial and social relationship between the betting industry and football, looking at how betting is monitored and regulated and the affect these regulations have on the relationship, especially in territories where gambling is illegal. It will also consider the responsibility the betting industry has towards ensuring the integrity of the game including what is being done to tackle issues surrounding match-fixing.

Both Chris Eaton and Theo Van Seggelen are perfectly positioned to address these topics.  Chris has been a key driving force in FIFA’s efforts to combat match-fixing in since his appointment as Head of Security for FIFA at the beginning of 2011. As General Secretary of FIFpro and a regular player representative on FIFA committees, Theo will provide a unique insight into betting from the players’ perspective.

Duncan Revie, Soccerex CEO commented: ‘As someone who enjoys a little flutter, I appreciate the natural pairing between betting and football. Almost every club in the Premier League now has some form of betting sponsorship, with seven of the twenty clubs having betting brands on their shirts. As the football world expands, betting is becoming ever more prominent and we are delighted to have two specialists like Chris and Theo address such a topical issue; their insight will be of great interest.’

In addition to betting, the European Forum conference programme will address the latest developments relating to UEFA, Financial Fair Play, Emerging Markets, Clubs, Stadia Safety and the Future of League Structures.

The Soccerex European Forum is a two-day event which sees the elite of Europe’s football industry come together to debate, network and do business.

For further information about this event please call +44 (0)208742 7100 or visitwww.soccerex.com/europe.