FIFA Rejects FAM Appeal Over Sanctions on Mixed-Heritage Players
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 3: The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has suffered a major setback after FIFA rejected its appeal against the sanctions imposed on the governing body and seven of its mixed-heritage players.
In a statement released on Monday, FIFA’s Appeal Committee, chaired by Nick Eggleston, confirmed that it had dismissed FAM’s appeal in its entirety after reviewing all submissions and holding a hearing.
“After analysing the submissions and conducting a hearing, the FIFA Appeal Committee decided to dismiss the appeal and to confirm in its entirety the sanctions imposed upon FAM and the seven players,” the committee said.
As part of the ruling, FAM has been ordered to pay a fine of 350,000 Swiss francs (approximately RM1.8 million) to FIFA.
The seven affected players, Gabriel Palmero, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazábal, and Hector Hevel, have each been fined 2,000 Swiss francs (around RM10,400) and suspended for 12 months from all football-related activities.
According to FIFA, both FAM and the players have been informed of the decision and have 10 days to request a detailed written explanation, as well as 21 days to file an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) if they wish to challenge the outcome.
In response, FAM issued a statement confirming that their appeal had been rejected, adding that they would now seek the full written reasoning from FIFA before deciding on further action.
“This is the first time FAM have faced a situation like this, and both our legal team and management were very surprised by the outcome,” said acting FAM president Datuk Yusoff Mahadi.
He stressed that the association remains committed to defending the rights of its players and ensuring that Malaysian football is represented fairly on the international stage.
“Nevertheless, FAM remain steadfast in defending the rights of our players and the interests of Malaysian football at the international level,” Yusoff said.
FAM confirmed that it will write to FIFA to obtain the complete grounds for the decision before determining its next course of action, which could include appealing to the CAS in Switzerland.
Legal experts note that while CAS appeals are complex and time-sensitive, FAM’s next move will be crucial in shaping the precedent for eligibility cases involving mixed-heritage players in Malaysian football.
The case has attracted significant attention within the local sports community, with fans and analysts urging transparency and stronger legal representation in defending Malaysia’s footballing rights under international regulations.