FAM to appeal Fifa's naturalised player decision

– The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) will be taking its case to an arbiter after losing on Nov 3 its appeal over penalties imposed following the scandal embroiling naturalised players in the national team, saying it was “very surprised by (Fifa’s) decision”.

Global governing body Fifa has upheld

a 350,000 Swiss franc (S$564,900) fine against FAM, while the seven players in question were fined 2,000 Swiss franc each and suspended from all football-related activities for 12 months.

FAM’s decision to appeal the decision was, however, derided by some fans of the national team, who criticised the move as a waste of resources when allocations are already tight.

“After analysing the submissions and conducting a hearing, the Appeal Committee decided to dismiss the appeals, and to confirm in its entirety the following sanctions imposed upon FAM and the seven players,” the Fifa Appeal Committee said in a statement.

“FAM and the players have been notified of the terms of the decision,” it added.

It said FAM and players have 10 days to request a detailed ruling from Fifa, and 21 days to file an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) – a step FAM said it intends to take.

“FAM will write to Fifa to obtain full details and written reasons for the decision before taking the next step of appealing to the CAS,” its acting president Mohd Yusoff Mahadi said in a statement on Nov 3.

“This is the first time FAM has faced such a situation. Our lawyers and management are very surprised by the decision.”

Subsequently, Johor Regent Tunku Ismail Idris criticised the suspension, alleging Fifa misapplied the law by penalising the players instead of just parties involved in falsifying the documents.

“In other words, the sanction is imposed without being based on the law and appears to be ‘politically motivated’ rather than anything else,” Tunku Ismail said in an Instagram post on Nov 4.

The regent, who led FAM from 2017 to 2018, added that he supports the move to take the matter to CAS, stressing that it is an independent body.

On Sept 26, seven naturalised players from Harimau Malaya – as the national team is nicknamed –

were suspended by Fifa

over the use of allegedly fake documents that showed their ties to Malaysia.

The seven are: Spain-born Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Facundo Tomas Garces and Jon Irazabal Iraurgui; Netherlands-born Hector Alejandro Hevel Serrano; Argentina-born Rodrigo Julian Holgado and Imanol Javier Machuca; and Brazil-born Joao Vitor Brandao Figueiredo.

On Oct 7,

Fifa released its grounds

for the decision, showing that the grandparents of the players had been born in Spain, Argentina, Brazil and the Netherlands, and not in Malaysia.

A player must at least have a grandparent born in the country, if they wish to play for the national team.

Fifa’s decision on the appeal came less than a week after

Argentine news publication Capital de Noticias

published on Oct 31 a copy of the birth certificate of Garces’ grandfather, Carlos Rogelio Fernandez.

According to its report, both Fernandez and his father were Argentine citizens born in Santa Fe in the country, despite FAM previously telling Fifa that Fernandez was born in Penang.

Mr Garces had on Sept 26 brushed off concerns over his ancestry, attributing the affair to a clerical error.

“I’m a Malaysian from my grandparents’ roots and I’m honoured to play for my country,” Garces wrote in an Instagram post that has since been deleted.

Amid mounting scrutiny, FAM appointed former chief justice Md Raus Sharif to lead an independent investigation into the case and recommend further action.

Tun Raus, who helmed Malaysia’s judiciary from 2017 to 2018, said on Nov 3 that the investigation and report would be completed within six weeks.

“The committee will carry out their duties independently and with full commitment to ensure transparency and fairness in their findings,” Mr Raus told The Star after the committee’s first meeting.

But Opposition leaders have been unsparing in their criticism, calling instead for Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution and Sports and Youth Minister Hannah Yeoh to either be suspended or step down.

“This is an epic scandal that not only disappointed supporters but also embarrassed the country,” Opposition MP Syahir Sulaiman posted on X on Nov 4.

While FAM can take the next step with CAS, not everybody is convinced it should go through with the move.

“FAM has a whole lot of explaining to do. So who is the agent(s) who recommended the footballers? Will the footballers now initiate legal action against FAM?,” asked veteran sports journalist Haresh Deol in a Nov 4 LinkedIn post.

“And more importantly, will FAM use the RM15 million (plus RM15 million from the private sector) allocated in Budget 2025 to pay the fines and legal fees to take this matter up to CAS?”

On FAM’s Facebook page, some commenters were supportive of the federation taking it up with the CAS. Top commenter Mohd Azhar Nordin said FAM should go ahead if it feels this is its “last lifeline” to correct its course.

Meanwhile, comments on Harimau Malaya, a Facebook fan page of the national football team that carries the same name, were more critical. User Afendy Pay said that going to the CAS would also open the room for Vietnam and Nepal to dispute Malaysia’s Asian Cup wins against the two countries.

“At CAS, there’s a high chance FAM will lose. At AFC (Asian Cup), there’s a high chance Vietnam and Nepal will win. So, let time determine FAM’s fate.”

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