Malaysian top executive makes a direct statement as CAS postpones ruling

The CEO of the Malaysian national team expresses optimism following the initial hearing with the international sports tribunal.

After a 12-hour hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland on Thursday, the suspense and drama of Malaysia's most controversial football scandal is not yet over. CAS, the de facto international sports court, will require time to review the appeals from Malaysia's seven naturalized players.

Previously, Malaysian fans believed CAS would announce its verdict as early as 5 a.m. this morning. However, a CAS spokesperson indicated that a brief ruling is expected next week, with the full written decision to be released later.

The seven foreign-born players - Gabriel Palmero, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal, and Hector Hevel - were suspended by FIFA for 12 months last September for falsifying documents related to their eligibility to play for the national team. They appealed to CAS.

The Football Association of Malaysia was also fined 350,000 Swiss francs by FIFA, while each of the seven naturalized players was fined 2,000 Swiss francs and banned from all football-related activities for 12 months.

But now, the management of the Malaysian national football team is confident they have presented their case effectively before the international sports court. In an exclusive interview with Timesport, the CEO of the Malaysian national team, Mr. Rob Friend, described Thursday's hearing as intense yet positive, following months of legal preparation.

"It was a productive week of work," Friend said. "Regarding the update, without revealing too many details, it was a 12-hour hearing. FIFA had their lawyers, we had our lawyers along with FIFPRO and the players."

"Considering the current situation, we are quite optimistic. My friend added that the decision will not be immediate, and CAS indicated the timeframe could range from several days to several weeks. This process might take from a few days to a week, or even up to three weeks. They did not give a specific deadline, but it certainly won't be completed overnight. Now we sit back and wait."