PETALING JAYA: Harimau Malaya player Gabriel Palmero remains composed as he awaits a pivotal ruling from the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) on the future of his footballing career.
The 24-year-old is set to learn on Thursday whether he will be allowed to once again don the Malaysian colours as CAS have set a hearing in Lausanne, Switzerland, to deliberate on the cases of Palmero and six other mixed-heritage players for alleged falsified documents.
“I’m just waiting, and I trust that it’ll be all fine,” said the 24-year-old.
“I must keep calm and wait for the decision. I just want to play football. Everything else is beyond my control.”
Palmero, together with Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal, and Hector Hevel, were all sanctioned by FIFA on Sept 25 last year and slapped with 12-month suspensions from all football-related activities.
It resulted in Palmero being released from his former club, CD Tenerife, in November.
However, the seven players got a reprieve last month when CAS granted provisional lifts on the sanctions pending a final verdict this week.
Since then, Palmero has restarted his club career in Sarawak, joining Kuching City earlier this month, where he made his third appearance with the club in their 0-1 Super League loss to Selangor on Sunday.
Despite the uncertainty, Palmero admits the hardest part has been being away from the national squad.
“I always keep in contact with the team. I spoke to Safawi (Rasid) and Noaa (Laine) recently.
“I miss the camaraderie, the friendships, and the team spirit. I had a healthy bond with the team and had lots of good memories.
“It was a wonderful experience, and I hope to make more memorable moments,” he said.
He added that he has also maintained communication with head coach Peter Cklamovski.
“I spoke with the coach a few weeks ago. We’ve always had a good relationship. He’s good and very professional,” he said.
After obtaining his Malaysian citizenship in May, Palmero earned four caps for Harimau Malaya, featuring in friendlies against Cape Verde, Singapore, and Palestine, as well as the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers clash against Vietnam, before FIFA’s sanctions were imposed in September.
While the outcome now rests with CAS, Palmero remains steadfast in his belief that choosing to represent Malaysia was the right decision.
“I still believe it was the best decision for me to play for Malaysia. I’m very glad and grateful to be here.
“I’ve had the support from everyone around me, and they are happy to see me playing football here and to keep growing.
“This country has given me all the best things, and I’ll always be happy to here.
“But let’s see what happens,” added Palmero.
