Kuala lumpur: The FIFA Appeal Committee has instructed its secretariat to take immediate steps to launch a formal investigation into the internal operations of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) over the falsification of documents of seven heritage players.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the 63-page motivated decision released by the world football governing body stated that the investigation should aim to identify the individuals responsible for the falsification of documents. The probe should also assess the adequacy and effectiveness of FAM’s internal compliance and governance mechanisms, as well as determine whether additional disciplinary measures are warranted against FAM officials.
The investigation will initially focus on examining the role of the FAM secretary-general, Datuk Noor Azman Rahman, and that of the two licensed FIFA agents named in these proceedings, Nicolas Puppo and Frederico Moraes. The committee noted that their involvement raises serious concerns that merit thorough scrutiny.
Additionally, the committee instructed its secretariat to initiate a separate investigation into the fielding of ineligible players in the three friendly matches cited in the case. The FIFA Appeal Committee aims to establish the circumstances under which some of the players participated and whether further sanctions are appropriate. It was revealed that all seven heritage players were born abroad.
The players in question include Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, born in Santa Cruz de la Palma, Spain; Facundo Garces from Santa Fe, Argentina; Rodrigo Holgado from Buenos Aires, Argentina; Imanol Manchuca from Rosario, Argentina; Joao Figueiredo from Sao Paolo, Brazil; Jon Irazabal from Bilbao, Spain, and Hector Hevel from Leidschendam, the Netherlands.
Given the nature and gravity of the offences, particularly the forgery of official documents, the committee directed the secretariat to notify the competent criminal authorities in Brazil, Argentina, the Netherlands, Spain, and Malaysia. The committee emphasized that forgery constitutes a criminal offence in these jurisdictions, and it is imperative that the relevant authorities are informed so that appropriate criminal investigations and proceedings may be pursued.
On November 3, FIFA rejected appeals by FAM and the seven naturalised players. The FIFA Appeal Committee upheld the penalty imposed by the Disciplinary Committee against FAM and the players for offences related to the falsification of documents under Article 22 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code.
FIFA previously stated that FAM had submitted falsified documents to confirm the eligibility of the players, allowing them to compete in the third-round match of the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers against Vietnam on June 10, which Malaysia won 4-0 at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
The Secretariat was able to gather a copy of the original birth certificates of the players’ grandparents, indicating their places of birth in their respective countries. However, the information filed by FAM falsely indicated that the grandparents were from various Malaysian locations.
Consequently, FAM was ordered to pay a fine of CHF350,000 (approximately RM1.8 million), while each player was fined CHF2,000 (about RM11,000). The seven players were also suspended for 12 months from football-related activities.