According to information from Malaysian media, the appeal file was completed by FAM and sent to the CAS at the end of January 8. Notably, in addition to opposing FIFA's disciplinary decision, FAM also proposed that the CAS consider applying temporary measures, allowing players to continue playing at club level during the time the case is considered.
7 related players including Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal, Hector Hevel, Gabriel Palmero, Imanol Machuca, Rodrigo Holgado and Facundo Garces are all serving a 12-month suspension according to a decision issued at the end of September 2025.
The Managing Director of the Malaysian national team - Mr. Rob Friend - said that the immediate goal of FAM is to find ways to remove the temporary ban so that players' playing careers are not interrupted.
We have submitted complete legal documents to the CAS and proposed to apply temporary measures to allow the players to continue playing while waiting for the final verdict," Mr. Rob Friend shared.
According to the procedure, CAS will seek opinions from relevant parties, including FAM, FIFA and legal representatives of the players, before making a decision on requesting the application of emergency measures. The initial verdict is expected to be announced within one to two weeks.
Previously, FIFA concluded that FAM had used invalid documents to legalize the playing status for a group of players born abroad. The accompanying penalty included a fine of 350,000 Swiss francs (about 9.6 billion VND) for FAM, along with a 12-month suspension for each player. Each player was also fined an additional 2,000 Swiss francs (about 55 million VND).
FAM and the players have filed appeals to the FIFA Complaint Committee but were rejected in early November 2025. Continuing to bring the case to the CAS is considered the last legal effort of Malaysian football to mitigate the consequences of the penalty.
In related developments, FAM Acting President Yusoff Mahadi confirmed that Secretary General Noor Azman has returned to work after the internal suspension ended. However, Mr. Noor Azman is still under FIFA investigation and there is no final conclusion from the world football governing body.
