KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 9 — The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) is at a crucial juncture after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) confirmed it had accepted the national body’s appeal against sanctions imposed by Fifa, CAS communication officer Vanessa Tracey told Arena Metro.
Tracey said both parties are now exchanging written submissions as part of the standard CAS procedure.
“This phase of document exchange is part of the usual process before any hearing is conducted. After this stage, and with the agreement of both parties, the hearing will be scheduled,” she was quotes as saying.
CAS also stressed that the hearing schedule will be regularly updated on its official website for stakeholders to follow.
The appeal was filed by FAM to safeguard the interests of the national team and players, following FIFA’s earlier sanctions linked to alleged document falsification.
FAM previously submitted its Statement of Appeal, which involves seven Harimau Malaya heritage players affected by the penalties.
According to the report, acting FAM President Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mahadi said the appeal process has entered a new phase after official documents were submitted to CAS.
The legal teams now have until Dec 18, 2025, to submit full written arguments.
Previously, FIFA’s Appeals Committee had rejected FAM’s appeal and those of the seven players — Gabriel Palmero, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal, and Hector Hevel — after reviewing all evidence and submissions.
FIFA ruled that the case involved a serious breach under Article 22 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, maintaining all prior sanctions.
FAM was fined CHF350,000 (RM1.9 million), while the seven players retained penalties including CHF2,000 (RM10,000) fines and 12-month suspensions from all football activities.
