Fam Braces For Fifa S Final Punishment

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FAM lodged the appeals on the sanctions against them earlier this month after FIFA last month fined the national association 350,000 Swiss francs (RM1.9 million) and suspended seven national heritage players. - NSTP picKUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian football holds its breath today, waiting for possibly bad news tomorrow.
FIFA is set to deliver its final decision on FAM's appeal on the sanctions against them by the world football body.
FAM lodged the appeals earlier this month after FIFA last month fined the national association 350,000 Swiss francs (RM1.9 million) and suspended seven national heritage players — Gabriel Palmero, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal and Hector Hevel — for 12 months and fined them 2,000 Swiss francs each for allegedly falsifying ancestry certificates to establish their eligibility for the national team.
National team adviser Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim had earlier said that FIFA may consider reducing the suspensions.
However, sports critic Datuk Pekan Ramli said: "There are no signs of a positive outcome from the appeal based on the developments so far. FAM must be ready to accept whatever decision with full realisation and remorse.
"There's no need for argument or debates. FAM is being punished for its own mistakes. We must face the reality instead of pretending we are not at fault."
If the appeal fails, he said any decision to take the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) should be guided by strong evidence and sound reasoning, not emotion.
"What will FAM gain by prolonging this? I'm not saying we shouldn't go to CAS, but we must be clear about the purpose. If we had solid evidence, we wouldn't have found ourselves in this position," he said.
Pekan said Malaysian football's recovery depends on accountability and reform rather than blame.
"The longer this issue drags on, the longer it will take for Malaysian football to recover. We need to move forward with integrity and rebuild public trust."
The embarrassing scandal has damaged the national team's reputation, with questions raised over FAM's internal verification processes and oversight mechanisms.
For the seven players, who were brought in to strengthen Harimau Malaya, the outcome of the appeal will determine whether they can return to competitive football sooner than expected or face a full year on the sidelines.
Regardless of the verdict, the episode has served as a wake-up call for Malaysian football — a reminder that success cannot come at the expense of proper governance and due diligence. - NST

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