Global players' union defends footballers in Malaysia forgery scandal, calls them 'victims'
Malaysian players after their 4-0 victory against Vietnam in the AFC Asian Cup qualifier game at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium in Kuala Lumpur on Jun 10, 2025. (File photo: Instagram/@h.serrano13)
KUALA LUMPUR: Global footballers' union FIFPro says that seven players embroiled in a Malaysian national team eligibility scandal are themselves victims and their 12-month bans "grossly disproportionate".
Malaysia's federation, FAM, has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport after FIFA banned the players and fined FAM US$440,000 in September for submitting false documents that said the foreign-born players had Malaysian ancestry.
FIFA launched an investigation after receiving a complaint following Malaysia's 4-0 win against Vietnam in June in an Asian Cup qualifier in which two of the seven players scored.
Its investigation showed none of Hector Hevel, Jon Irazabal, Gabriel Palmero, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca or Joao Brandao Figueiredo had a parent or grandparent born in Malaysia, a requirement for selection to a national team.
FIFPro on Monday (Dec 1) gave its full support to the seven and said they were not to blame.
"The sanctions imposed on them - a 12-month ban from all football-related activities - are grossly disproportionate given the particular circumstances of the case," it said in a statement.
"It is clear that the players are, in fact, victims in this matter."
It added: "All steps were handled by institutions outside their control, yet they now face suspension from their clubs and the serious consequences that follow through no fault of their own."
The FAM has denied any deliberate wrongdoing.
