According to information from Astro TV channel, President of the World Football Federation (FIFA) Gianni Infantino will be in Malaysia on October 25. The visit has been confirmed by local newspapers in Kuala Lumpur and attracted media attention in the region.
Mr. Infantino is expected to meet with the leaders of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) at the National Training Center in Putrajaya. The main purpose of the trip is to sign a cooperation agreement to promote the development of football in Southeast Asia (ASEAN). This is an important step to strengthen the football foundation in the region, creating a foundation for sustainable development of national teams.
However, the FIFA President's visit was not related to the recent controversial incident, when Malaysia was sanctioned by FIFA for illegally naturalizing 7 players.
Astro channel quoted Metro newspaper as saying that Mr. Infantino will not mention any issues related to FIFA's recent sanctions against FAM. This shows that the nature of the trip is completely constructive and cooperative.
Regarding FIFA's penalty, the Football Association of Malaysia has completed the appeal procedure and is awaiting handling. In case the penalty remains the same, FAM still has a chance to appeal to the International Court of Sports (CAS).
