Malaysia has officially filed an appeal with FIFA regarding the ineligibility of seven naturalized players.

15/10/2025 19:34:00 GameGladiator

The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has officially submitted an appeal to FIFA regarding the registration issues of seven naturalized players.

Acting FAM President, Datuk Yusoff Mahadi, confirmed that the appeal was filed by the association’s legal team before the deadline ended this morning (Malaysia time).

He mentioned that the case is being managed by foreign lawyers appointed by FAM and expressed confidence that the documents submitted this time have been prepared much more thoroughly and rigorously.

"By submitting the appeal, it means we still hope to receive a positive outcome. The appointed lawyers are internationally experienced," he stated.

Acting President of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), Datuk Yusoff Mahadi. Photo: NST

"The national team management is a professional organization and naturally has many connections with international lawyers who understand global football regulations.

"They have a network of highly experienced legal experts supporting us throughout the appeal process. This can be seen as our second chance in this matter.

"I believe the legal team has prepared very carefully and meticulously. There was no rushing or pressure — we want to ensure the final decision will be favorable to us."

On October 6, FIFA announced the full details of the disciplinary decision against FAM and seven mixed-heritage players — Gabriel Palmero, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal, and Hector Hevel — after detecting discrepancies in their initial registration documents.

According to the official report titled "Notification of the Basis of the Decision," FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee determined that the penalties were imposed due to violations of Article 22 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, related to falsification or alteration of official documents.

FIFA then fined FAM 350,000 Swiss francs (equivalent to about 1.9 million ringgit), while each player was fined 2,000 Swiss francs (around 10,860 ringgit) and banned from all football activities for 12 months.

FAM previously stated that the incident stemmed from a technical error by administrative staff, resulting in mistakes during the player registration process.

Last Tuesday, fans noticed that the Malaysian flag reappeared next to the names of the seven players on Transfermarkt, although it had been marked as "undetermined" after FIFA’s sanctions.

Some consider this a positive sign, indicating that FAM’s appeal might be moving in the right direction.

However, since the appeal has only just been submitted, FIFA has yet to make any decisions or adjustments regarding the penalties against FAM and the players.

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