FAM SUBMITS APPEAL TO FIFA OVER ELIGIBILITY DOCUMENT BREACH

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 15 (Bernama) -- The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has filed an official appeal with the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) regarding the disciplinary decision related to the documentation issue involving the eligibility of seven national players.

FAM acting president Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mahadi said the association acted swiftly after receiving FIFA’s full judgment on Oct 7, with its legal team completing all the necessary documents ahead of the submission deadline.

He said the preparation of the appeal was done carefully to avoid any complications at the next stage.

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“Of course, when we file an appeal, our hope is for it to be accepted, to obtain a positive outcome and in our favour.

“This appeal process is like a second round for us, so we are making better, more thorough and detailed preparations. It was not done hastily or under pressure,” he told reporters when met during the Group F match of the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers between Malaysia and Laos at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday. 

Last month, FAM and seven naturalised players -- Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal and Hector Hevel -- were penalised by FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee after being found guilty of violating Article 22 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code (FDC) related to document falsification.

In a statement, FIFA said FAM had submitted falsified documents to confirm the eligibility of the players, allowing them to compete in the third-round match of the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers against Vietnam on June 10.

As a result, FAM was fined CHF350,000 (approximately RM1.8 million), while each player was fined CHF2,000 (about RM10,560) and suspended for 12 months from all football-related activities, effective from the date of notification of the decision.

In a previous statement, FAM explained that it had identified a technical error in the submission process involving the seven players’ documents, which was made by an administrative staff member.

FAM had also stated that it did not rule out the possibility of taking the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) if the appeal at the FIFA level fails to yield a positive outcome.

In a separate development, Mohd Yusoff said FAM would leave it to the Disciplinary Committee to determine the next course of action regarding national head coach Peter Cklamovski’s recent remarks, which were said to be critical of the governing body.

He said he had personally accepted the apology made by the Australian coach but stressed that FAM is bound by statutes that must be respected.

-- BERNAMA