Johor Darul Ta’zim will not face any sporting sanctions in club competitions following the ruling related to the eligibility case involving seven Malaysian heritage players.
Recent reports suggested that the Southern Tigers could face penalties in major competitions, including the AFC Champions League Elite, the Shopee Cup, and the Malaysia Super League, after three of their players were linked to the case.
However, the decision issued by FIFA and upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) confirmed that the sanctions apply only to the individuals involved and the national federation, not to the clubs where the players compete.
Individual Sanctions, Not Club Penalties
Among the seven players in the case, three are currently part of JDT — Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal, and Hector Hevel.
All three remain suspended from representing the Malaysian national team until November 2026. Despite the suspension at the international level, they are still allowed to train with JDT and participate in club friendlies.
Crucially, the sanctions do not affect club competitions, as the case concerns documentation related to eligibility to represent the national team rather than player registration in domestic or continental tournaments.
Issue Related to National Team Eligibility
The matter centers on the eligibility documents submitted for players to represent the Malaysian national team, commonly known as the Malaysia national football team or Harimau Malaya.
Importantly, when the players were registered to represent the national team, they were not yet JDT players. As such, their involvement does not affect the legality of their participation in club competitions.
As a result, all match results involving JDT in the Malaysia Super League or other tournaments remain valid and unchanged.
Malaysian Citizenship Status Unaffected
Another key point clarified in the ruling is that the case does not question the validity of the players’ Malaysian passports or civil citizenship status.
From a civil law perspective, the three players remain Malaysian citizens. This means they are still eligible to compete in the Malaysia Super League as local players.
The dispute examined by CAS focused solely on whether the players met FIFA eligibility criteria to represent the national team.
FAM Faces Fine, Clubs Unaffected
As a result, the punishment includes individual sanctions for the players and a financial penalty for the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM).
No disciplinary action has been imposed on Johor Darul Ta’zim or any other clubs.
In principle, this confirms that JDT’s records, titles, and achievements in competitions remain intact, with the ruling affecting only players’ international eligibility, not their club careers.
Credit Photo : Ridhwan/SNE-Photo
