Malaysia appeals, asserting no fraud in naturalization documents

FAM maintains there was no fraudulent activity in the naturalization documents of the players and has filed an appeal with FIFA to annul the sanctions and exonerate both the federation and the seven players.

The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has officially lodged an appeal with FIFA aiming to revoke the sanctions related to allegations of forged naturalization documents, while also seeking to clear the federation and the players involved.

At a press conference held at Wisma, FAM's legal representative, lawyer Serge Vittoz, stated that the entire appeal dossier submitted to FIFA’s Appeals Committee is based on two main points: proving there was no forgery of documents by FAM or the players, and asserting that the current sanctions are unjust.

“Our primary goal is to protect the players’ reputations and clarify that they were not involved in any fraudulent acts. At the same time, FAM as an organization is also not implicated in any document falsification as alleged by FIFA. Therefore, we demand the penalties be revoked,” Vittoz stated.

According to Vittoz, FIFA’s sanctions against FAM are based on the principle of “strict liability,” meaning the national football federation is held responsible if its players violate rules, even if the federation itself was not directly involved.

“FIFA assumes that since the players breached regulations, FAM must also be accountable. However, this does not imply FAM is at fault; it is simply a consequence of strict liability,”he emphasized.

Lawyer Vittoz revealed that the core dispute centers on discrepancies between birth certificates issued by foreign authorities and registration documents at Malaysia’s National Registration Department.

“There are certain differences between the two types of documents, and our task is to explain to FIFA the legal reasons for these discrepancies,”he explained.

He also clarified that FAM’s legal team represents only the federation, while the seven naturalized players involved have hired their own lawyers to protect their interests. The players include Hector Hevel, Joao Figueiredo, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Facundo Garces, Jon Irazabal, and Gabriel Palmero.

Vittoz further confirmed that the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is not involved in this appeal process. “This is strictly a matter between FAM, the players, and FIFA,” he said.

The case involving the players’ naturalization documents has put FAM under significant pressure recently, as FIFA imposed sanctions after discovering irregularities in the personal documents. However, FAM firmly states this is a complex administrative issue without fraudulent intent.

FIFA is expected to issue its final decision on October 30. This will be a decisive moment that could significantly impact the future of the naturalized players as well as Malaysia’s football reputation internationally.