FIFPro opposes the 12-month ban on seven Malaysian players.
FIFPro argues that the 12-month ban on seven players who applied to represent Malaysia is disproportionate, asserting the authenticity of the documents and expecting intervention from the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The World Professional Footballers' Association (FIFPro) has officially commented on the case of seven players who applied to play for the Malaysian national team but were banned from all football-related activities for 12 months. FIFPro called the punishment "completely disproportionate" given that the players were victims of a process beyond their control and their submitted documents were deemed authentic.
Judgment and grounds for disciplinary action
According to the FIFA Appeals Committee's decision, seven players, along with the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), violated Article 22 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code concerning the falsification and forgery of documents to legitimize their eligibility to play for the Malaysian national team. None of these players had a grandparent born in Malaysia as required by regulations. The documents submitted to FIFA to prove their Malaysian origin differed from documents that were subsequently thoroughly investigated.
The list of 7 players includes:
- Gabriel Felipe Arrocha
- Facundo Tomás Garcés
- Rodrigo Julián Holgado
- Imanol Javier Machuca
- João Vítor Brandão Figueiredo
- Jon Irazábal Iraurgui
- Hector Alejandro Hevel Serrano
FIFPro's argument
In its statement, FIFPro stated: “FIFPRO has noted the decision made by FIFA’s Appeals Committee regarding the seven players who applied to represent the Malaysian national team. The sanctions imposed on them – a 12-month ban from all football-related activities – are completely disproportionate given the specific circumstances of the case.”
The organization emphasized: “It is clear that the players are indeed victims in this case. Their decision to assert that they did not forge any documents to obtain benefits, and to clearly acknowledge that the documents they submitted were authentic, is undeniable. With at least seven players in a similar situation, it is clear that any forged documents were not the result of individual actions.”
FIFPro also pointed out limitations in the current procedure: “Players also have no way of obtaining binding confirmation from FIFA regarding their eligibility, a procedure not even required under current regulations. Therefore, the fact that they are held responsible for documents submitted to FIFA by a national federation, and that they appear to be obligated to verify documents they do not issue or submit, is particularly concerning.”
The procedure the players followed
According to FIFPro, seven players followed the guidelines correctly, and all were dealt with by the competent authorities:
- Submit personal documents
- Appearing before Malaysian authorities
- Perform the oath-taking procedure.
- Receive a government-issued passport.
- Awaiting approval from the Football Association of Malaysia.
"Every step was beyond their control, but now they face suspension from the club and serious consequences that are not their fault," the statement said.
Impact and next steps
FIFPro stated, “We express our full support for the players and believe that the Court of Arbitration for Sport will overturn this injustice.” Domestically, the repercussions of the incident are widespread. Regarding the developments, Malaysia coach Peter Cklamovski said, “The banned players want to contribute to the national team.”
Key points
- FIFPro opposes the 12-month ban, arguing that it is disproportionate to the context of the case.
- FIFA concluded that the violation concerned the falsification and forgery of documents. Article 22 of the Disciplinary Code was found.
- FIFPro asserts that the player documents submitted are authentic and that the process is carried out by an agency outside their control.
- FIFPro expects the Court of Arbitration for Sport to overturn the ruling.
