KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 27 — The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has confirmed it will file an appeal against the International Federation of Association Football's (Fifa) ruling on the sanctions imposed over the ‘heritage player’ case, in a bid to safeguard the interests of the players and the Malaysian national team.
Its acting president Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mahadi confirmed that the association has received Fifa's official ruling on the matter, adding that all documentation and procedures had been submitted transparently in line with the prescribed guidelines.
“In fact, Fifa had previously reviewed the eligibility of the players concerned and gave official confirmation that they were allowed to represent Malaysia.
“Therefore, FAM will file an appeal against this decision and will utilise all available legal channels and procedures to safeguard the interests of the players and the Malaysian national team,” he said in a statement today.
Yesterday, Fifa said its disciplinary committee has imposed sanctions on FAM and seven heritage players for breaching Article 22 of the Fifa Disciplinary Code (FDC) relating to falsification of documents.
The players sanctioned are Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Facundo Tomas Garces, Rodrigo Julian Holgado, Imanol Javier Machuca, Joao Vitor Brandao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal Iraurgui, and Hector Alejandro Hevel Serrano.
It noted that FAM had submitted falsified documents to confirm the players’ eligibility, which allowed them to feature in the third round of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers against Vietnam on June 10.
Following that match, Fifa received an official complaint concerning the eligibility status of several players.
As a result, FAM was fined 350,000 Swiss francs (RM1.8 million), while each player was fined 2,000 Swiss francs (RM10,560) and suspended from all football-related activities for 12 months, effective from the decision's notification date.
