Johor Darul Ta’zim penalized by FIFA over clearing house compliance

Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) has been issued an administrative levy by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee following a failure to pass mandatory compliance assessments under the FIFA Clearing House Regulations. The penalty, totaling approximately 1,122 euro (RM5,400), consists of a 2.5 percent levy applied to 31 separate payment instructions.

The compliance failure involved delays in paying training compensation totaling 44,878.68 euro to development clubs. These payments related to the transfers of Colombian striker Jorge Leonardo Obregon from HNK Rijeka and Brazilian striker Joao Figueiredo from RAMS Basaksehir. The FIFA Clearing House process is designed to ensure compliance with anti-money laundering, terrorism financing, and international sanction laws.

JDT Chief Executive Officer Luis Garcia stated that the club's top management was previously unaware of the issue until an internal review was conducted. The investigation revealed that correspondence with FIFA regarding these payments had been overlooked by relevant staff. The club has identified the individuals involved and taken appropriate action, emphasizing a commitment to ensuring such administrative oversights do not recur.