JDT slams FAM 'paperwork blunder' after 3 stars barred from league

Johor Darul Ta’zim FC (JDT) has cried foul after three of its heritage players were barred from featuring in the Malaysia League.

The development follows sanctions imposed by the Federation of Association Football (Fifa) on the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and seven heritage players, who were also hit with a 12-month suspension from all football-related activities.

Out of the seven players involved, three JDT players - striker Joao Figueiredo, defender Jon Irazabal Iraurgui and midfielder Hector Alejandro Hevel Serrano - have been barred from the league throughout their suspension period.

Commenting on the matter, JDT chief executive officer Luis Garcia expressed the club’s “disappointment” over how its players were suspended due to a “technical error in the document submission process by FAM”.

“We hope the matter is resolved as soon as possible and the players are able to represent JDT in due course,” he added in a brief statement issued by the club today.

JDT is scheduled to play on its home ground tonight at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri against Tokyo-based Machida Zelvia FC, as part of the AFC Champions League Elite.

Technical error

Garcia is understood to be referring to FAM secretary-general Noor Azman Rahman’s admission that a technical error had been identified in the process of submitting documents by the governing body’s administrative staff.

Noting that FAM is awaiting Fifa’s full judgment before filing an appeal against the global football body’s decision, Azman said FAM takes the matter seriously and stressed that the players involved are legitimate Malaysian citizens.

This came after Fifa announced it had imposed sanctions against FAM and seven players for breaches of Article 22 of the Fifa Disciplinary Code (FDC) on forgery and falsification, with Fifa determining that FAM had submitted “doctored documentation” to field the involved players.

Fifa also determined that FAM must pay a fine of 350,000 Swiss francs (RM1.9 million), while each of the seven players was also slapped with a 2,000 Swiss francs fine.

Besides JDT’s Figueiredo, Iraurgui, and Serrano, the other players involved are Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Facundo Tomas Garces, Rodrigo Julian Holgado, and Imanol Javier Machuca.

Previously, Johor Regent Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, in a post on X, provided a copy of a letter from National Registration Department director-general Badrul Hisham Alias dated Sept 19.

Pointing out that Badrul had confirmed that the issuance of the players’ citizenship certificates was carried out in full compliance with the legal and constitutional requirements of Malaysia, Tunku Ismail asked if any third parties were involved in Fifa’s decision.

Highlighting that Fifa had previously approved the players, the royal added that Fifa, in meting out the punishment, had not provided an explanation for its decision.

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