Philippine player speaks out after Malaysia receives heavy FIFA sanction

Patrick Reichelt of the Philippine national team expresses his reaction to FIFA’s penalty imposed on the Football Association of Malaysia.

The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has issued sanctions against the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and seven players for breaching Article 22 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code concerning forgery and falsification of registration documents.

According to FIFA’s announcement, the Football Association of Malaysia submitted eligibility verification documents to FIFA that included altered paperwork to register seven players: Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Facundo Tomás Garcés, Rodrigo Julián Holgado, Imanol Javier Machuca, João Vitor Brandão Figueiredo, Jon Irazábal Iraurgui, and Hector Alejandro Hevel Serrano. These players participated in the match between Malaysia and Vietnam during the third round of the AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers, held on June 10, 2025, at Bukit Jalil Stadium.

This news immediately shook Southeast Asian football. Patrick Reichelt of the Philippine national team voiced his opinion on his personal social media: "It's shocking—they have been exposed, but not surprising since they are not Malaysian. Having lived in Malaysia for several years and loving this country, it’s sad to see them feel the need to do such things while there are many genuine Malaysian football talents out there."

After reviewing the evidence, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee decided to fine FAM 350,000 CHF (Swiss francs). Each of the seven players was fined 2,000 CHF and banned from all football-related activities for 12 months from the date of the decision. Additionally, the players’ eligibility issues have been forwarded to the FIFA Football Tribunal for further examination.

According to regulations, FAM and the involved players have 10 days to request the detailed decision and may appeal to the FIFA Appeals Committee under current procedures.

Once FIFA’s decision takes effect, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Disciplinary Committee will review and issue rulings concerning FAM’s violations.