Malaysia hires foreign lawyers to appeal to FIFA

The Football Association of Malaysia has sought the assistance of international legal experts in filing their appeal to FIFA.

On the morning of October 15th, the Football Association of Malaysia officially submitted an appeal to FIFA regarding the case of seven naturalized players found to have forged documents. Acting FAM President Datuk Yusoff Mahadi confirmed that the appeal was filed by the federation’s legal team before the submission deadline this morning (Malaysia time).

According to Acting FAM President Datuk Yusoff Mahadi, to ensure accuracy in this appeal, FAM leveraged the national team management’s connections to engage international lawyers. He expressed confidence that the submitted documents were much more organized and thorough this time:

"By submitting the appeal, it means we are hopeful for a positive outcome. The appointed lawyers are all foreign experts. The national team management is a professional body and naturally, they have connections with many international lawyers who understand football regulations on a global scale.

They have a network of experienced legal specialists who can assist us throughout the appeal process. This appeal can be seen as our second chance in this matter. Therefore, I believe our legal team has prepared this carefully and meticulously. There was no rush or pressure — we want to ensure that the decision made will be in our favor."

For this appeal, the Football Association of Malaysia must be very thorough, especially since FIFA has already provided strong evidence of intentional forgery by the seven naturalized players. FIFA holds the original birth certificates of these seven players, proving none were born in Malaysia but rather in Western countries.

Afterward, the AFC had to wait for FAM to complete all legal procedures. FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee announced its well-founded decision, and the next step is for FAM to appeal to FIFA’s Appeal Committee, followed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). All decisions depend on the Football Association of Malaysia.