FIFA has accused the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) of falsifying citizenship documents, allowing seven foreign-born players to compete for the Malaysian national football team. The accusations surfaced after FIFA, in late September, imposed fines and one-year suspensions on the players. A report issued by FIFA elaborated on this action, stating that FAM had forged birth certificates to falsely indicate that the players’ grandparents were born in Malaysia, which FIFA characterized as a form of cheating.
In response, FAM attributed the discrepancies to an “administrative error” and asserted that the players are legitimate Malaysian citizens. The situation arose amid FIFA’s “grandfather rule” that permits naturalized players to represent countries based on their biological heritage, intended to prevent teams from importing foreign talent solely for competitive advantage. FIFA initiated an investigation following Malaysia’s 4-0 victory over Vietnam in June, after questions about the players’ eligibility surfaced.
The players affected by FIFA’s ruling include individuals from Spain, Argentina, the Netherlands, and Brazil. FIFA stated that it uncovered original birth certificates of the players’ grandparents, which indicated births in countries such as Argentina and Spain, aligning with the players’ actual origins. FAM had previously submitted documents claiming that these grandparents were born in various Malaysian cities.
As a consequence of FIFA’s findings, FAM has been ordered to pay 350,000 Swiss francs (approximately $440,000), while the suspended players are each facing fines of 2,000 Swiss francs (about $2,500). Malaysia’s sports minister has expressed that FIFA’s findings have negatively impacted the nation’s image. The minister indicated that the government would await the outcome of FAM’s appeal before making further statements. This week, Malaysia is scheduled to play Laos in an Asian Cup qualifier, although the squad will be significantly altered due to the suspensions.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqxzv75dp4go?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss