Malaysia football officials quit over foreign-born players scandal

Fifa had accused Malaysia's football association of doctoring citizenship documents.

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Fifa, the world football governing body, has accused FAM of doctoring citizenship documents so seven foreign-born athletes could play for Malaysia.

The mass resignations would "ensure that any necessary reforms may be undertaken without distraction or perceived conflicts, and with a renewed basis of trust", FAM said in a statement on Wednesday.

For days there had been speculation that FAM leaders would step down to prevent a takeover by a FIFA-nominated committee, local media reported.

The resignations were meant to "safeguard the reputation and institutional interests of FAM" and avoid consequences that "could affect Malaysian football as a whole", FAM said.

It added that until a new committee is appointed, FAM's operations will be managed by a small team led by its secretary-general with help from the Asian Football Confederation.

The seven foreign-born players have been been fined by Fifa, which also temporarily suspended them from playing football.

But that suspension was lifted this week by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which is set to deliver a verdict on the fates of embattled athletes.

After Malaysia's 4-0 victory over Vietnam in an Asian Cup qualifier last June, Fifa launched an investigation into the eligibility of seven foreign-born players on the Malaysian national team.

They are: Spanish-born Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Facundo Tomas Garces and Jon Irazabal Iraurgui, Argentinian-born Rodrigo Julian Holgado and Imanol Javier Machuca, Netherlands-born Hector Alejandro Hevel Serrano and Brazilian-born Joao Vitor Brandao Figueiredo.

Fifa's "grandfather rule" allows foreign-born football players to represent countries that their biological parents or grandparents were born in.

The rule aims to prevent national teams from simply importing fo

Source: BBC

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