PETALING JAYA: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) are seeking urgent clarification from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over what could happen during the interim period should a suspension eventually be upheld.
AFC secretary-general Datuk Seri Windsor Paul highlighted the growing legal and practical risks surrounding players and clubs who continue to compete in competitions while appealing disciplinary sanctions.
According to Windsor, the biggest concern lies in the interim period, the window in which a player is allowed to feature after being granted a stay of execution while awaiting a final CAS ruling.
“There is a significant risk when players continue to play under a disciplinary cloud,” he said, pointing out that although a player may be cleared to compete temporarily, a later ruling could drastically alter the situation.
With CAS expected to issue a decision on Feb 25, Windsor warned that a negative verdict could lead to complicated consequences for competitions.
“If a player loses the case after having played during that interim period, it creates a practical problem for organisers,” he said.
Among the uncertainties are whether results from those matches would still stand and what impact a reinstated suspension could have on league standings and tournament integrity.
Said Windsor: “The period of uncertainty is unavoidable once a stay is granted.”
“The onus is always on the club and the players. Organisers do not take the risk.”
He added that if a club decide to field a player during a stay of execution, it must be prepared to accept the consequences should the suspension later be reinstated.
Continental and regional bodies, he said, would not introduce special regulations to protect clubs from such outcomes.
“We will follow the regulations set by the AFC and FIFA. There will be no separate rules created to shield clubs from this risk,” he said.
To prevent further uncertainty, the AFC have formally approached CAS to seek clarity on two key issues: the exact consequences for matches played during an interim stay and whether any form of special dispensation could be granted to safeguard competitions until the final hearing.
“Until we have those answers, the risk remains entirely with the participants,” Windsor said.
Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) have three - Joao Figueiredo, Hector Hevel and Jon Irazabal - out of the seven players in question, and they currently can compete in the AFC Champions League Elite and Asean Club Championships Shopee Cup, while waiting for the appeal decision.
