Malaysia could 'lose' nearly 8 billion VND if it appeals to FIFA

The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) faces the possibility of incurring costs nearing 8 billion VND should it choose to challenge FIFA's penalty at the International Sports Arbitration Court (CAS).

Previously, on September 26, FIFA issued a severe penalty against FAM for violating regulations related to falsifying player documents.

Specifically, the organization was accused of fielding seven naturalized players who did not meet eligibility criteria, including Gabriel Palmero, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal, and Hector Hevel. According to the ruling, each player is banned from competition for 12 months and fined 2,000 Swiss Francs (about 66 million VND), while FAM must pay a fine of 350,000 Swiss Francs, equivalent to approximately 11.5 billion VND.

On October 15, Vice President Datuk Sivasundaram confirmed that FAM had submitted an appeal to FIFA to clarify the allegations. The review outcome is expected to be announced on October 30. However, if unsatisfied with the decision, FAM may escalate the case to CAS — the highest authority in international sports judiciary.

According to lawyer Zhafri Aminurrashid, pursuing an appeal at CAS would cost FAM about 1.27 million Malaysian Ringgit (over 7.88 billion VND). This expense includes filing fees, attorney fees, expert witness costs, and other litigation-related charges. Lawyer Aminurrashid noted that normally CAS costs are shared between parties, but since FAM initiated the appeal, the Malaysian federation will bear the entire expense this time.

Mr. Aminurrashid commented: “Spending over 1 million Malaysian Ringgit on a CAS case is a substantial amount. If the process drags on, costs could increase by several hundred thousand Ringgit more.”Meanwhile, FAM Acting President Datuk Yusoff Mahadi emphasized that appealing is necessary to protect the organization's reputation and the rights of the affected players, adding that FAM has hired an international legal team to handle the case thoroughly and professionally.

The case has attracted significant media attention in Malaysia and is seen as a test of both the credibility and legal capacity of FAM. Many experts believe that facing the risk of spending nearly 8 billion VND if the appeal continues, FAM is confronted with a difficult choice between defending its honor or accepting the penalty to avoid financial loss.