International Lawyer Explains Why CAS Delayed Ruling on Malaysia

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has taken an exceptionally long time to issue a ruling on the appeals filed by FAM and 7 players.

Why has the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) taken so long to rule on the appeals by FAM and 7 naturalized players? Sports lawyer Hairul Vaiyron Othman stated the reason is that the case involves eight separate appeals being heard in a single session at the world sports court in Lausanne, Switzerland. He noted that due to the scale of the case, additional time may be required.

The 7 players - Gabriel Palmero, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal, and Hector Hevel - were suspended by FIFA for 12 months starting last September for falsifying documents related to their eligibility to play for the national team. The Football Association of Malaysia was also fined 350,000 Swiss francs (1.8 million Malaysian ringgit). They appealed to CAS.

CAS, which began the hearing on the case on Thursday, stated it will announce the ruling next week. "That was just a single case. Imagine, here we have eight cases that need to be adjudicated and decided in one hearing," Hairul said.

He added that even under normal circumstances, for a single case with timely submission of documents by the involved parties, reaching a decision could take about a month. Here, the CAS panel must consider multiple appeals before issuing a final and binding verdict.

In a statement to the media, CAS emphasized that an exact timeline for the official ruling cannot yet be determined. However, a preliminary decision, not yet including the full detailed reasoning, is likely to be announced next week to provide the parties with initial information on the case outcome.

Ms. Vanessa Tracey, a CAS communications officer, shared that the panel requires additional time for deliberation following the hearing. She stated: "Following today's hearing, the panel will need time to deliberate. I cannot provide an exact timeline for the decision, but the initial ruling (without the full reasons) is expected to be announced next week. As this is a high-profile case, a press release will be issued. I will inform you as soon as it is published."

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