Seven Malaysian naturalized players involved in illegal immigration show unusual behavior after CAS ruling

Seven Malaysian naturalized players suspended by CAS for 12 months due to document scandal have remained silent for nearly a week, with no response to the penalty.

Nearly a week after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) issued a ruling upholding the penalty, the seven players involved in the scandal of forging documents to represent the Malaysian national team have yet to address public opinion.

The ruling was announced by CAS last Thursday, affirming that the 12-month suspension of the players was justified after confirming fraudulent actions in their eligibility documents for the national team. However, most of the involved players have maintained a silent stance so far.

The seven disciplined players include Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal, Hector Hevel, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Facundo Garces, and Gabriel Palmero. These are all foreign-origin players who were naturalized to play for the Malaysian national team.

According to observations on social media platforms, the accounts of these players have been virtually "frozen" since the CAS ruling. No statements or responses have been issued regarding the penalty.

Previously, CAS dismissed the appeal and maintained the decision to suspend the seven players for 12 months mentioned above after concluding that falsifying or providing misleading information in eligibility documents was substantiated. According to CAS, the 12-month ban is considered "reasonable and balanced," as the players bear responsibility for participating or aiding in document fraud.

However, this penalty only applies to official matches, not completely banning all football-related activities. This means the players can still continue training and club activities during the suspension period.

The incident is attracting significant attention in Malaysian football as it directly relates to the national team's policy of using foreign-origin players, which has been strongly implemented in recent years.