FIFA Ban Seven Players as 'Cheating' Scandal Erupts in Qualifying
FIFA has handed seven players 12-month suspensions and hefty fines following an eligibility controversy.
Seven players will miss Malaysia’s Asian Cup qualifiers against Laos on Thursday after the ruling.
Gabriel Palmero, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal and Hector Hevel, who previously represented Malaysia, all received 12-month bans as well as being fined 2,000 Swiss francs.
The issue relates to the players’ eligibility, with FIFA giving its verdict back in September.
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As reported by ESPN, the players allegedly gained Malaysian citizenship through the use of falsified documents.
The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has since stated its intent to lodge a formal appeal, having been fined 350,000 Swiss francs.
FIFA said the FAM had forged birth certificates to make it look like players’ grandparents were born in Malaysia, which, according to the body, "constitutes, pure and simple, a form of cheating".
“Presenting fraudulent documentation with the purpose of gaining eligibility to play for a national team constitutes, pure and simple, a form of cheating, which cannot in any way be condoned,” FIFA said in a report released on Monday.
“Such conduct erodes trust in the fairness of competitions and jeopardises the very essence of football as an activity founded on honesty and transparency.”
FAM responded by putting the issue down to “administrative error” and also maintained that the players were “legitimate Malaysian citizens”.
FIFA currently permit foreign-born football players to play for countries where either their biological parents or grandparents were born.
The investigation occurred following Malaysia’s 4-0 win against Vietnam in June.
Three of the suspended players were born in Spain, two in Argentina, two in the Netherlands and one in Brazil.
According to BBC News, Malaysia’s sports minister, Hannah Yeoh, said FIFA’s findings had a negative impact on the nation’s image.
“Although FAM has issued a statement saying it was a technical error, a mistake by their staff, all of that needs improvement because the 19-page statement contains very serious remarks by FIFA, which tarnish the country’s image,” Yeoh said.
“Fans are angry, hurt and disappointed.”
Malaysia head coach Peter Cklamovski will be forced to field a much-changed line-up against Laos as a result of the suspensions.
Luke Davies