Lawyer explains why FIFA is delaying the verdict on Malaysia football's appeal case

At the end of September, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) lodged an appeal with FIFA after the latter fined FAM 350,000 Swiss francs (approximately 1.9 million ringgit) and sanctioned seven naturalized national team players — Gabriel Palmero, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal, and Hector Hevel — each fined 2,000 Swiss francs and banned from all competitions for 12 months.

This disciplinary action followed FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee uncovering discrepancies in the registration files of the naturalized players, concluding that the ancestral origin documents were falsified to validate their eligibility to represent Malaysia.

In response to Timesport,sports lawyer Nik Erman Nik Roseli, who understands the FIFA Appeals Committee process, said that delays in rulings are not unusual.

He explained that the prolonged review period could be due to several factors:

"The decision must be carefully weighed both legally and factually. The Committee might request additional documents, evidence, or clarifications from the lawyers of both parties," Nik Erman stated.

"It’s also possible that some Committee members are occupied with other duties or facing health problems. Moreover, extending the timeframe for both sides to prepare and respond is common practice."

Nik Erman also referred to Article 60 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, which grants the appellant — in this case FAM — the right to submit new evidence and suggest a list of witnesses.