Malaysian expert speaks out on allegations that Indonesia is behind FIFA sanctions

06/10/2025 21:24:00 pandatv

A Malaysian football specialist refutes accusations that Indonesia caused FIFA's sanctions against FAM, considering these claims unfounded and subjective.

The Malaysian football community is stirred by allegations that Indonesia influenced FIFA’s sanction against the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM). However, local experts deem this argument “immature” and “unsubstantiated.”

Malaysian football analyst Arnaz M. Khairul states that blaming Indonesia or any other country is inappropriate. He believes that if violations occurred, it is legitimate for involved parties to report them to FIFA.

Chuyên gia Malaysia lên tiếng về cáo buộc Indonesia đứng sau án phạt FIFA 717372 — Malaysian expert dismisses rumors of Indonesia being behind FIFA’s sanction on FAM (Photo: FAM)

“That’s childish behavior. If Vietnam or any other country submits a report upon discovering wrongdoing, that is entirely reasonable. FAM should not waste time seeking someone to blame,” Arnaz commented on the YouTube channel 10 Malaysia.

This view is also supported by expert Zakaria Abdul Rahum, who emphasizes that the most important thing is for FAM to honestly acknowledge mistakes and follow proper procedures. “Both in sports and politics, there are processes for appeals. If you want to appeal, follow the correct protocols. I appreciate FAM’s courage to admit fault without blaming others,” Zakaria stressed.

Sharing the same perspective, expert Pekan Ramli believes the debate over FIFA’s sanction has gone too far and shifted towards blaming other countries. “The issue has become politicized. Some blame Indonesia, others Vietnam, and even Malaysian politicians have spoken out. We should focus on correcting mistakes and not fear if we act rightly,” Pekan stated.

Chuyên gia Malaysia lên tiếng về cáo buộc Indonesia đứng sau án phạt FIFA 717374 — Previously, FAM was heavily fined by FIFA for illegal naturalization (Photo: FAM)

Earlier, FIFA sanctioned seven naturalized players of the Malaysian team, imposing a fine of 2,000 CHF (about 41.8 million VND) and a 12-month ban. FAM was also fined 350,000 CHF (equivalent to 7.3 billion VND) for administrative violations related to player registration.

FAM admitted technical errors in handling the paperwork and did not file an appeal within 10 days of receiving FIFA’s notification.