Kuala lumpur: The Malaysian Football League (MFL) has confirmed that the registration of four heritage players as local players for the upcoming 2025-2026 Malaysia League (M-League) season was conducted in compliance with the M-League Competition Regulations.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the MFL specified that three players from Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) - Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal, and Hector Hevel - along with Gabriel Palmero from Kuching City FC, have been registered according to the guidelines outlined in the league competition's manual. The regulations require a submission of a colored copy of the player's identity card or passport, as stated in the Malaysia League Manual Edition 2025-2026, under the section on registration and transfer systems.

The MFL emphasized that these requirements were communicated through a circular issued to all M-League clubs on June 12, 2025. The circular specified that the necessary documents must be updated and uploaded in PDF format for approval under the Local and Foreign Players category, ensuring compliance with the competition's regulations.

According to the MFL, the registration process was completed using valid identity cards issued by the National Registration Department (JPN), confirming that there was no breach of regulations by the respective clubs in registering Figueiredo, Irazabal, Hevel, and Palmero as local players.

Nevertheless, the MFL noted that the four players must still observe a 12-month suspension from official matches as recently ruled by FIFA and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). This suspension is related to sanctions imposed on seven Harimau Malaya players, including the four registered, for falsifying eligibility documents.