MOSCOW: As Russia prepares to host several major international sport events over the next decade, including the 2018 FIFA World Cup™, the Russian Football Premier League (RFPL) and theInternational Centre for Sport Security (ICSS) have signed a wide-ranging partnership to protect the country’s top football division from emerging threats to the safety, security and integrity of sport.

As part of the partnership and their commitment to safeguarding sport, the RFPL and ICSS will work together on a number of events, initiatives and training programmes which will enhance sport safety, security and integrity in Russia and protect RFPL officials, coaches, players and young athletes around the country.

Following the recent joint inspection by FIFA of the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ venues and stadia, the RFPL will also utilise the ICSS’s technical expertise and global programmes to develop and enhance best practice in the security design of sports facilities, as well as safety and security standards in and around RFPL matches.

Speaking on the agreement, Sergey Pryadkin, President of the Russian Football Premier League, said:

“The Premier League is continuously working hard for the implementationof international best practices to ensure the safety and comfort of all participants in the Russian Championship. The signing of a cooperation agreement with the ICSS for us is an important step in this direction”.

Mohammed Hanzab, ICSS President, said:

“This partnership represents a significant boost in the fight to protect top clubs, officials and players around Russia and will hopefully play an important part of the country’s preparations in the lead up to the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup™ and 2018 FIFA World Cup™.

“The Russian Premier League is a powerful voice in European and world football. Signing with the country’s top football league represents an important landmark for ICSS and builds upon our existing partnerships in football, which include the European Professional Football Leagues (EPFL), Deutsche Fußball Liga, Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional and Lega Pro.

“At the ICSS, we believe that governments and governing bodies must take a lead and be at the forefront of the fight to protect sport. I would like to thank the RFPL for partnering with the ICSS and would urge other organisations to show the same courage and leadership to confront the many new threats to sport that are emerging on the horizon.”

Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros, Chief Executive of the ICSS Europe, said:

“At ICSS Europe, we have committed ourselves to working with leading organisations in sport throughout Europe and beyond to confront the threats facing sport. I believe that a more international approach to safeguarding sport is urgently required.

“Alongside the various partnerships ICSS Europe has signed recently with key organisations from the sport and government, this collaboration is another important landmark and we are proud to be working with the RFPL, a league I know very well.  The RFPL is a league with whom I have cooperated closely in my previous role as CEO of the EPFL and they are one of the top leagues in Europe and the world.

“With some of the Europe’s leading players and teams, this partnership with the RFPL will hopefully usher in a new era for sport in Russia, as well as a new era in terms of governance, safety and security, integrity and youth development. It will benefit all clubs, players and fans, as well as all those who care about football. ”

ENDS

NOTE TO EDITORS

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BACKGROUND INFORMATION

About the Russian Football Premier League (RFPL)

Non-profit partnership “Russian Premier League” brings together non-amateur football clubs Russian Premier Division, on behalf of the Russian Football Union organizes and conducts Nationwide football club competitions among top division clubs, sports and coordinating organizational and managerial activities non-amateur football clubs in the Premier Division Russia and other relations between them, as well as carry out other activities in accordance with the current legislation of the Russian Federation, the Charter of the International football Federation (FIFA), the Charter of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), the Charter of the Russian Football Union (RFU), and other regulatory documents of these organizations.
About the International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS)

The ICSS is an international, independent and not-for-profit organisation. With an aim to improve security, safety and integrity throughout the world of sport; the ICSS works with governments, federations, clubs, leagues and event organisers. The ICSS provides expertise, services and global knowledge – advising on event and venue safety, strategic security and investigations into corruption in sport.

For more details please visit www.theicss.org or follow us on twitter at @the_ICSS.

For further information and if you are interested in a media briefing, please contact:

Will Shand

ICSS

will.shand@theicss.org

+974 333 416 55 / +44 77 52 73 1548

Sergey Alekseev

Russian Football Premier Football League  

s.alekseev@rfpl.org

+79055124722