Following the dismissal of Dan Santos as coach of the Luxembourg national women’s football team, Minister of Sport Martine Hansen has welcomed the swift action taken by the Luxembourg Football Federation (FLF) after allegations emerged that Santos had sent inappropriate messages to players.
The sacking prompted parliamentary questions from Taina Bofferding, leader of the Luxembourg Socialist Workers’ Party (LSAP) parliamentary group, and MP Mandy Minella of the Democratic Party (DP). Their enquiries focused primarily on how the affected women are being protected and what steps will be taken to prevent future abuses in sport.
Responding to the questions, Hansen acknowledged that while sport in Luxembourg is already grounded in “fundamental values,” several initiatives are currently underway to strengthen safeguards.
One key development is the transformation of the Luxembourg Anti Doping Agency into the Agency for Integrity in Sport (ALIS), following a statutory change scheduled for early April. This new body will simultaneously establish a safeguarding contact point to handle all forms of abuse in sport and provide support for victims.
Hansen also confirmed that the long-promised ethics commission, first announced in the aftermath of the Gerson Rodrigues controversy, will finally be established.
On Thursday, the Ministry of Sport and the Luxembourg Olympic and Sporting Committee (COSL) are set to present the framework of an ethics charter to the country’s sports federations. The charter will eventually apply to all clubs as well.
Finally, Hansen explained that the government plans to introduce a legislative amendment linking the receipt of subsidies to compliance with integrity standards.
