Revealing the identity of the international lawyer assisting Malaysia in appealing against FIFA

The Football Association of Malaysia depends on Serge Vittoz’s professional knowledge to appeal the sanction imposed by FIFA.

The reputation and credibility of international sports lawyer Serge Vittoz will be the main support for the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) in confronting the punishment handed down by FIFA following the case of forged documents involving seven naturalized players.

Vittoz has an unusual background as he is a lawyer at Charles Russell Speechlys, a firm based in Zurich, Switzerland, with extensive expertise in handling cases related to organizations under the auspices of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

He also has experience advising and representing parties across various sports fields, including competitions, commercial activities, organizational matters, and political issues. In fact, he has participated in legal proceedings before sports judicial bodies such as the FIFA Court, ordinary courts, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), and the Swiss Federal Court.

According to the CEO of the Malaysian national team, the Football Association of Malaysia is fully cooperating with FIFA to ensure the investigation is conducted fairly and transparently without any conflicts of interest.

"We are working with FIFA because we trust their goodwill; we need to fully understand what happened. Through transparency and cooperation with FIFA, we want to comprehend the process and investigate together with them.

"I myself have traveled to Miami several times to meet with FIFA, demonstrating our commitment that we truly want to understand the issue and ensure such incidents do not happen again," he stated.

Vittoz has previously represented several major international sports federations in important hearings before the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), as well as advising national football associations and professional players who successfully participated in the FIFA World Cup 2018 and 2022. He has also been involved in numerous governance audits and improving management frameworks of sports organizations aiming for reform according to international standards.

Thanks to Vittoz’s extensive experience and expertise, FAM is regarded as moving in the right direction to strengthen its defense and ensure the integrity of Malaysian football continues to be upheld at the international level.