Johor Darul Ta’zim FC (JDT) have voiced their disappointment following FIFA’s decision to suspend three of their players due to a document submission error attributed to the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM).
In a statement issued today, JDT Chief Executive Officer Luis Garcia said the Southern Tigers regret the situation that has sidelined their national team stars João Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal and Hector Hevel, who were among seven players suspended for 12 months by FIFA.
“We are disappointed that a technical error in the document submission process by FAM has led to the suspension of the three Malaysia national team players that play for JDT,” Garcia said.
“We hope the matter is resolved as soon as possible and the players are able to represent JDT in due course.”
The suspensions come at a crucial point in the season, with JDT competing on multiple fronts, including the Malaysia Super League, Shopee Cup (ACC), and the AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE). The absence of these players presents a significant challenge to the reigning champions, who have built much of their success around their naturalised talents.
FAM has already confirmed its intention to appeal FIFA’s ruling, insisting that all processes were carried out transparently and in good faith, while stressing that FIFA had previously cleared the players for international duty.
Credit Photo : JST
