Conflicts of Interest in Sport: A Comparative Analysis of International and European Remedies

Abstract

This research studies the management of conflicts of interest in sporting context, trough a comparative analysis of the current wave of reforms at national and international level. It suggests that the notion of conflict of interests in sport is wholly specific and it requires particular remedies, illustrating potential convergences with the public and private governance practices. Firstly, the paper identifies the endemic conflicts of interest due to the specific pyramid structure of sports movement, and the individual conflicts of interest that could occur in sporting organisations. Secondly, it detects the solution foreseen by the European authorities and the recent reforms concerning the sporting organizations adopted at national and international level. The study shows the elements that characterize conflicts of interest in sporting context, identifying convergences, limits, and the specific solutions suggested by the ethical and social function of sport.