FAM deputy president, Datuk S. Sivasundaram (left) and Harimau Malaya CEO Rob Friend. — ART CHEN/The Star
PETALING JAYA: National team chief executive officer Rob Friend made his first public appearance in almost three weeks since the issue of mixed-heritage players eligibility surfaced, clarifying that he was not involved in verifying documents related to the seven.
Friend explained that the national team operate independently from the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) administration.
His side are only responsible for technical and performance matters, while all documentation and player registration processes are fully managed by FAM.
“It’s important for me to make it clear that the national team are not involved at all in handling documents. We only focus on the team’s strategy, performance and tactics," said Friend.
So far, FAM have refused to disclose the family backgrounds of the seven players as they fear it could interfere with the ongoing investigation.
The seven players – Hector Hevel, Jon Irazabal, Gabriel Palmero, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, and Joao Figueiredo – were found to have violated Article 22 of the Fifa Disciplinary Code, which covers the falsification and use of forged documents.
