Kelantan pay for Jesus mistake

New chapter: Cassio De Jesus (left) featured for Kelantan in 2018 and 2019 before joining Indonesian side Barito Putra.

PETALING JAYA: Premier League outfit Kelantan learnt the hard way that it doesn’t pay to be recalcitrant when they were ordered by FIFA to settle former player Cassio De Jesus’ salary arrears of RM629,620.28 by the end of this month.

If they do no pay up, they will be slapped with a docking of points. The east coast side have also been barred from signing players in the next two transfer windows.

Brazilian striker De Jesus featured for Kelantan in 2018 and 2019 before joining Indonesian side Barito Putra.

This is not the first time the Red Warriors are in trouble with FIFA. They had already been docked three points by the world governing body last year for failing to settle arrears owed to former technical director Alfredo Gonzalez.

It is learned there are several more cases involving Malaysian teams pending with FIFA. These teams face heavy sanctions from the world body for salaries owed to their foreign players.

Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) secretary-general Stuart Ramalingam said all M-League teams must follow proper procedures when they terminate the contract of their foreign players or face action.

He said the national body had to execute the FIFA’s orders when they decide to punish teams who fail to settle their arrears.

“We want to remind all the teams to know the due process when they sign or terminate a foreign players’ contract. Get your documentations right, ” said Stuart.

“If you are unsure or need advice, please contact FAM’s legal department.

“We can advise on what needs to be done. The process and management of policies regarding terminating a player’s contract should not be treated lightly.

“I really hope Kelantan can settle the arrears soon.

“If they fail to settle the salary arrears before the deadline, they might face more sanctions like points docking or fines.”

Kelantan are currently lying seventh in the 12-team Premier League with four points after three matches.

The east coast side’s transfer ban will force them to promote their President’s Cup and Youth Cup players but Stuart was looking at the bright side. He believed it will help the Kelantan young talents to flourish.

“The punishment has been meted out and they have to face it. They cannot sign new players but they can use this as an opportunity to expose their talented youngsters, ” added Stuart.