Away-day tests for illustrious three

A Dutch 'Klassieker' headlines the resumption of the Eredivisie on a weekend when Manchester United FC, Paris Saint-Germain FC and Real Madrid CF face exacting away trips.

Germany: Bayer 04 Leverkusen v Eintracht Frankfurt (Saturday 15.30)
When second-placed Leverkusen host Eintracht, who occupy fourth spot in the Bundesliga, it will be a meeting of two sides that have exceeded expectations so far this term. What is shaping up to be a promising season for Eintracht began with a 2-1 win against Saturday's opponents on the opening weekend of the campaign.

"The second half of the season will be more difficult for us," warned the visitors' coach Armin Veh, whose charges earned as many points, 30, as champions Borussia Dortmund in their first 17 games. "We have a team with perspective. Our first goal is to avoid relegation – that is my only goal. We will approach every game in a way that allows us to reach 40 points. If we get there, we can talk about the future."

Italy: ACF Fiorentina v SSC Napoli (Sunday 12.30)
Having ended 2012 with three successive wins, ACF Fiorentina have started the new year with as many defeats. Beaten in Serie A by Pescara Calcio and Udinese Calcio, the Viola were eliminated from the Coppa Italia in midweek by visiting AS Roma. Their quest for redemption begins against a Napoli outfit two places and five points better off in third. "We are missing a bit of luck," said Fiorentina midfielder Alberto Aquilani. "We are still playing good football, but everything seems to go wrong on the pitch. We need to react fast and the game against Napoli should give us a chance to show our quality."

Netherlands: AFC Ajax v Feyenoord (Sunday 14.30)
The Eredivisie returns from its winter break with an encounter between third and fourth in De Klassieker (The Classic). Both clubs are on 37 points, three behind leaders PSV Eindhoven and FC Twente. Ronald Koeman's youthful Feyenoord are proving that last season's runners-up finish was no fluke as they head into the first of two matches likely to demonstrate the strength of their title credentials – they host Twente next weekend after this visit to the Amsterdam ArenA.

"We are only three points behind, despite the millions spent by PSV and FC Twente," said the Rotterdammers' midfielder Jordy Clasie. "We are proving how far you can get with players from the youth academy when you give them time to develop. PSV and Twente might have the best players, but we have the best team."

England: Tottenham Hotspur FC v Manchester United FC (Sunday 17.00)
Gareth Bale has cited Tottenham's surprise 3-2 victory at Old Trafford in September as the launchpad for what the north London club hope will be a successful pursuit of a UEFA Champions League berth. Bale, who scored a superb solo goal in the match, said: "That win stood us in good stead. It gave us confidence and belief to do what we've done so far this season."

A similar result at White Hart Lane would be a significant shot in the arm as André Villas-Boas's side hunt down Chelsea FC, two points better off in third. United, who have won nine of their last ten top-flight games, have not lost both league matches in a campaign to Spurs since 1989/90.

Spain: Valencia CF v Real Madrid CF (Sunday 21.00)
A glance at the Liga table from this stage last term will tell you that Valencia and eventual champions Madrid were performing much better than they are now. Then the leaders ahead of FC Barcelona and this Sunday's hosts, the Merengeus are currently third, 18 points off top spot ahead of their trip to Ernesto Valverde's seventh-placed team.

"With our performances in the league this season we understand that people are critical of us," Madrid captain Iker Casillas said. "Winning the championship is obviously a big ask now, but for ourselves, for the fans who support us and for the badge on our chest, we must continue to fight until the very end."

France: FC Girondins de Bordeaux v Paris Saint-Germain FC (Sunday 21.00)
Held to a goalless draw at home last weekend by AC Ajaccio, Paris Saint-Germain FC will hope to make amends against fourth-placed Bordeaux, who are unbeaten in eight. The capital club, second in the standings and minus the suspended Thiago Motta, are aiming for their first win at the Stade Chaban-Delmas since 2005 as they seek to bridge the two-point gap to Ligue 1 pacesetters Olympique Lyonnais.

Alex, part of a PSG rearguard which has kept a clean sheet in each of the last five league matches, said: "We know it's always difficult to play against Bordeaux. They defend very well and are very dangerous on the counterattack."

Pogba fires Juventus to four-goal victory

Two long-distance strikes from Paul Pogba set Juventus on their way to a 4-0 home triumph over Udinese Calcio and a five-point cushion at the top of Serie A, after S.S. Lazio were held.

Juventus' lead at the top of Serie A stands at five points after they capitalised on a 2-2 draw for S.S. Lazio by overwhelming Udinese Calcio.

Following the Biancocelesti's brush with defeat in Sicily – Hernanes earning Lazio a share of the spoils against lowly US Città di Palermo with a late penalty – the leaders took advantage, emphatically registering their first league win of 2013.

Paul Pogba scored twice in a 4-0 home win, the first an unstoppable right-footed shot beyond Danielle Padelli and in off the underside of the crossbar four minutes before the break. The 19-year-old's second, a low drive from distance midway through the second period, was followed by a Mirko Vučinić effort on the turn and a smart finish from substitute Alessandro Matri.

Lazio took the lead through Sergio Floccari's early header, but fell behind to two goals in as many minutes. Egidio Raul Arévalo Rios (70) levelled, converting Andrea Dossena's ball to the back post, and when Paulo Dybala swiftly turned the match on its head, Palermo had high hopes of a first win since 24 November. Hernanes, though, ensured they will have to wait another week at least.

Fight against corruption goes on

UEFA and its president Michel Platini have underlined their zero tolerance policy towards corruption in European football following the UEFA Executive Committee's latest meeting in Valletta, Malta.

UEFA and its president Michel Platini have underlined their zero tolerance policy towards corruption in European football. Mr Platini reiterated the European body's determination after the UEFA Executive Committee's latest meeting in Valletta, Malta, on Thursday.

Real problem
"We will use all of our strength to combat all those who corrupt the game," said Mr Platini. "If journalists know before the match who is going to win, there's no interest, and football would be killed in this way. Sincerely, it's a real problem.

Cannot be treated lightly
"Any player who is caught will never play football again. Those who corrupt football at refereeing level will never referee again. Anyone who corrupts as a president or coach will never manage or coach again. This is the will of the president and Executive Committee. We cannot treat this lightly."

Betting Fraud Detection System
UEFA has already taken measures to invest heavily in a Betting Fraud Detection System (BFDS). UEFA also monitors all UEFA matches, as well as all domestic first and second-division matches and domestic cup games. In addition, UEFA has been assisting German police in a European match-fixing investigation, and is investigating several fixtures in the European competitions.

Additional assistant referees
The European body is involved in the experiment with additional assistant referees too, as a test to potentially help the referee's decision-making process. The experiment, sanctioned by football's lawmakers, the International Football Association Board (IFAB), is being carried out in this season's UEFA Europa League.

Time to change refereeing
"Today, when a referee takes a decision, there are 20 cameras which show the decision. Television shows errors – but we all know that the referee can't see everything. I think that it is time to change refereeing and to reflect on what refereeing is," said Mr Platini. "Sufficient referees should be deployed to cover all parts of the pitch. Today, football is the only sport where there is one referee covering the entire pitch. It is easy to show all the things that a referee can't see. One referee is not enough. Our role is to put into place a system of eyes which can cover the whole [pitch]."

2016 bid handover
The bid handover for UEFA EURO 2016 is approaching. On 15 February, three candidates to host the tournament – France, Italy and Turkey – are due to hand their bid dossiers to UEFA, with a final decision on the hosts expected on 28 May. The 2016 final round will be the first to feature 24 teams, and Mr Platini explained the reasons behind the UEFA Executive Committee's decision.

Protect the game
"The role of UEFA is to protect the game. There are technical and organisational advantages. A EURO with 24 teams can provide plenty of good teams without the level of technical quality falling," said Mr Platini, who recalled that many strong sides had missed out on final-round participation in the past. "We are also going to have a fabulous knockout round with 16 teams, which we didn't have before. This is going to give the competition more quality in technical terms."

Referee convention
Five more associations – Cyprus, Italy, Lithuania, Moldova and Wales – have joined the UEFA Convention on Referee Education and Organisation, which aims to improve refereeing structures and development within the European associations. UEFA's national associations director Theodore Theodoridis has also been appointed UEFA's deputy general secretary.

First-ever Integrity Officers workshop at UEFA

The first UEFA Integrity Officers' workshop has taken place at UEFA HQ in Nyon, with the UEFA President delivering a stark warning to increase the fight against match-fixing.

The first-ever UEFA Integrity Officers' workshop finished today at UEFA headquarters with a stark warning from UEFA President Michel Platini about the dangers of match-fixing in football.

"Football, like most sporting disciplines, is in mortal danger," Mr Platini said. "The very essence of our sport is based on the integrity of results, from school sport up to the World Cup. Obviously, the credibility of every competition is affected. If the dice are loaded, what is the point of taking part or getting enthusiastic?

"Today, there is not a week that goes by without newspaper headlines which speak of a suspicion, an inquiry or an arrest linked to the integrity of our competitions. Nevertheless, I refuse to resign myself vis-a-vis this mortal danger, and I know that the entire football family is ready to counterattack."

Mr Platini said that sport by itself can do nothing against organised crime. "Sports justice authorities alone cannot confront this type of challenge with their own tools. And this is where you come into play," he told the Integrity Officers. "In each country and national association, you are there to reinforce the links between football and its disciplinary authorities and the national and continental police and judicial instances.

"You bring your knowledge of football and its actors and players to the professionals. You play a crucial role in defending our sport, in the fight against organised crime and to help bring about a cleansing of our competitions at all levels."

Earlier this year, UEFA's Executive Committee approved a report by its betting/match-fixing working group, which proposed measures that European football should take to address the threat of match-fixing – including the setting up of a network of Integrity Officers at European level.

As well as acting as liaison officers for cooperation between the football authorities and state law enforcement agencies in relation to suspected match-fixing, Integrity Officers will exchange information and experience with the UEFA administration regarding the prosecution of corrupt or criminal practices affecting football. They will monitor disciplinary proceedings and coordinate relevant action, as well as organising educational programmes for players, referees and coaches as part of an effective preventative strategy.

UEFA will make annual funds available to each national member association to help finance the position of Integrity Officer. UEFA's own Integrity Officer will work alongside their national counterpart, supporting the operation of the network and overseeing intelligence gathering and information exchange and experience.

"Our policy is one of zero tolerance to those who are caught," UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino told the seminar. "It is crucial that we protect the soul of our sport." The General Secretary emphasised the importance of cooperation between sports organisations and state authorities. "We can help the public prosecutors and authorities," said Mr Infantino, "and they can help us in exchanging information, knowing that we can be very fast in taking very strong decisions and helping them in their cases."

UEFA, INTERPOL to tackle football-related crimes

UEFA President Michel Platini has met INTERPOL secretary general Ronald K Noble, with the two bodies agreeing to further reinforce their working relationship and exchange of information.

UEFA President Michel Platini and INTERPOL secretary general Ronald K Noble identified a number of areas for cooperation between the two organisations in tackling football-related crimes, including match-fixing and violence in stadiums, during a meeting at UEFA headquarters today.

Mr Platini and Mr Noble agreed to work on a memorandum of understanding to be signed in the near future that will further reinforce the working relationship and exchange of information between the organisations.

"For UEFA, the ongoing fight against match-fixing is one of the most important priorities in my second term as UEFA President," said Mr Platini. "By agreeing to sign a memorandum of understanding with INTERPOL, and by working closely with their network and through our betting fraud detection system, the net is now tightening on those involved in match-fixing and illegal sports betting."

INTERPOL secretary general Ronald K Noble again underlined the world police body's commitment to helping stamp out all forms of criminality affecting football, in particular match-fixing.

"Clearly match-fixing is a worldwide issue," he said. "INTERPOL is ideally placed to help UEFA, FIFA and all footballing professionals tackle the issue effectively at a global level, but at the same time it is important not to lose sight of other types of crime which can affect the sport.

"Following today's meeting with the UEFA President, Michel Platini, I can confidently say that the collaboration that already exists between UEFA and INTERPOL in tackling the issue of match-fixing will become even closer," Mr Noble added.

With INTERPOL already set to provide support ahead of and during the UEFA EURO 2012 final tournament, through the deployment of major events support teams (IMESTs) to the two host countries, Poland and Ukraine, the framework is already in place for closer liaison in combating all forms of criminality to better protect the sport, as well as its players, officials and fans.

As part of the support being given by INTERPOL during UEFA EURO 2012, the IMESTs deployed to Poland and Ukraine will liaise with all 190 member countries to facilitate the real-time exchange of messages and key police intelligence, including fingerprints, wanted persons notices and data relating to stolen and lost travel documents and stolen motor vehicles.

11 values

                                                                     Football first

In everything that we do, football must always be the first and most important element that we take into
consideration.
Football is a game before being a product, a sport before being a market, a show before being a
business.

Pyramid structure and subsidiarity

At international and European level, the autonomy of
sport is reflected by the pyramid structure of football.
FIFA, UEFA and the national associations work hand in
hand,while respecting the principle of subsidiarity.
This allows us to defend the interests of football in the
best possible way.

Unity and leadership

UEFA does not operate by dictat. We will continue to show strong leadership but operate in a
spirit of consensus. In addition to the national associations, we will involve all stakeholders
(leagues, clubs, players) in the decision-making process in European football, in particular
through the Professional Football Strategy Council, so that the Executive Committee can take
the right decisions. And we will aim for closer relations with football fans, without whom there
would be no professional game.

Good governance and autonomy

UEFA and its member associations are committed to good governance. Good governance
means openness, democracy, transparency and responsibility. In this spirit, UEFA defends
the autonomy of sports structures, so that football bodies – with national associations in the
lead – are the ultimate decision-makers in matters concerning football, with no undue
interference from governments.

Grassroots football and solidarity

Football is based on the grass roots, played everywhere by men and women, boys and girls.
The top professional level is just the tip of the iceberg. UEFA will continue with, and even
strengthen solidarity, both to protect the future of football and to deliver the wider benefits that
our sport brings to society as a whole. And it is also because the strength of football lies in
its grass roots that we have to preserve the local, regional and national identities of our game,
always in accordance with the law.

Youth protection and education

As governing body of European football, UEFA has both a sporting and a moral responsibility.
The international transfer of minors entails many risks. Let's not forget that players under the
age of 18 are children or adolescents. We want to protect the future of children in football and
stop them being uprooted to foreign countries when they are much too young.

Sporting integrity and betting

Betting is a source of funding but also a risk for football, especially to the integrity of
competitions. It is only right that football obtains its fair share of income from betting.
However, our primary focus must continue to be a total commitment to protecting sporting
integrity and the proper running of our competitions, in order to preserve the true spirit of our
game.

Financial fair play and regularity of competitions

UEFA supports fair play both on and off the pitch. Financial fair play means that clubs
operate transparently and responsibly, to protect both sporting competition and the clubs
themselves. Financial fair play means clubs not getting into a spiral of debt to compete
with their rivals but rather competing with their own means, ie the resources they generate.

National teams and clubs

National team and club football are vital and complementary elements of football. UEFA
will remain committed to ensuring that this balance is maintained and even strengthened,
as the development of our game at national, European and international level depends on it.

Respect

Respect is a key principle of football.
Respect for the game, integrity, diversity,
dignity,players' health, rules, the referee,
opponents and supporters. Our message is
clear: zero tolerance against racism, violence
and doping. Football unites people and
transcends differences. The colour of the skin is
invisible under the jersey and, for UEFA, this will
always be so. Racism and any other forms of
discrimination will never be tolerated. UEFA
will not tolerate violence either on the pitch or in the stands. Football must set an example.

European sports model and specificity of sport

UEFA is a European body and we remain totally committed to the European model of sport,
a model characterised by promotion and relegation, the solidarity principle, as well as open
competitions and opportunity for all. This is what sport – and especially football – is all about.
We have to protect this model because sport is not simply a business like any other and we
cannot allow it to be treated as such. We will continue to defend the specificity of sport and
are convinced that our arguments will prevail for the good of football.

UEFA determined to combat match-fixing

UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino has emphasised UEFA's determination to fight match-fixing and corruption in football – a "cancer" which threatens the sport's integrity.

UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino has emphasised UEFA's determination to fight match-fixing and corruption in football.

In an address at a conference in Rome on Integrity in Sport, organised by Interpol and world football's governing body FIFA, Mr Infantino reiterated UEFA's call for widespread cooperation between sports and state bodies to eradicate from football what he described as a "cancer" posing a real threat to the game's integrity.

"We cannot and will not allow our game to be contaminated by criminals who have nothing but financial gain in mind," Mr Infantino told UEFA.com ahead of the conference. "Football, as you know, is a game based on fair competition between participants played to an agreed set of rules. The integrity of our sport, as well as the physical and emotional well-being of both players and match officials, are being severely undermined by these individuals who have direct links to organised criminal groups in both Asia and Europe.

"We are committed to maintaining our sport's integrity," he added. "With our continued programme of education for players, match officials and coaches, our sophisticated monitoring systems and our close links with law enforcement agencies and state authorities, under no circumstances will we surrender to match-fixers.

"We cannot win this battle alone, and we recognise the need for close collaboration with all the members of the football family and other sporting bodies, whose goal it is to see the true values of football prevail. We very much count on their support."

The prevention and detection of match-fixing has been a priority for UEFA for many years at both domestic and international levels. "Indeed, sporting integrity is included as one of our organisation's 11 key values," said the UEFA General Secretary. "Betting is a source of funding, but it is also a risk for football, especially as far as the integrity of competitions is concerned. Our primary focus must continue to be a total commitment to protecting sporting integrity and the proper running of our competitions, in order to preserve the true spirit of our game."

The UEFA General Secretary explained that UEFA's approach is threefold – prevention through education; monitoring and reporting via cooperation with the betting industry; and action through punishment and disciplinary sanctions. Last year,UEFA and Interpol pledged to reinforce the working relationship and exchange of information between the two organisations.

UEFA has used the educational platform of its youth competition final tournaments to make players aware of the risks. Presentations and workshops have hammered home the message that match-fixing is "cheating to lose". The Professional Football Strategy Council has also recognised the menace of match-fixing by adopting a resolution which invited UEFA to intensify and extend its education programme in cooperation with associations, clubs, leagues and players' unions on a European and a national level.

Mr Infantino cited the sophisticated Betting Fraud Detection System created by UEFA, which monitors all matches in UEFA competitions – approximately 2,000 matches per season – as well as over 30,000 domestic league and cup games across 53 member associations. "We know that over 99% of the matches we monitor show absolutely no irregular betting patterns," he said. "However, the less than 1% of matches that do show irregular betting patterns remain unacceptable."

The Rome conference was attended by integrity officers deployed by UEFA throughout its 53 member associations, who are working against match-fixing at a domestic level, helping to introduce education programmes for players, officials and administrators, and liaising with UEFA on any integrity matter which arises concerning their matches or their teams participating in UEFA competitions. Mr Infantino said: "UEFA is building a comprehensive internal database containing match-related information and data from diverse sources which enables us to cooperate with law enforcement agencies and state prosecutors in their inquiries into cases of the corruption of matches.

"We will punish very harshly anyone who is manipulating the result of a match," Mr Infantino stressed. "We have collaborated with police authorities to make sure these criminal activities are tackled, and that this cancer is eradicated from the game before it gets too big. It is a challenge and we are ready. Players and match officials have been banned from any involvement in football as a result of our 'zero tolerance' policy towards match-fixing, and clubs have been excluded from UEFA competitions.

"We have had highly successful discussions with members of the European Union and the European Parliament to include sporting fraud as a specific criminal offence in all EU member states. Accordingly, the UEFA Executive Committee has also recently expressed its support for the introduction of sporting fraud as a criminal offence in national legislations throughout Europe, as cooperation from legal authorities is required if we are to eliminate match-fixing."

The UEFA General Secretary quoted UEFA President Michel Platini: "If we begin to know the results of matches before the matches take place, we would have to stop. Children would have to stop playing football, people would have to stop going to the stadiums. We are going to deploy every means necessary to combat [those who] cheat."