KUALA LUMPUR, 4th November, 2026 (WAM) -- The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening governance and integrity in Asian football as it concluded the AFC Legal Workshop 2026 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Wednesday.
Hosted from 3rd to 4th November at the AFC House, the workshop brought together key representatives from the various judicial bodies of the Confederation and the AFC Legal Committee, alongside invited speakers from UEFA and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), as well as experts from the wider sports law community.
Opening the workshop, AFC General Secretary Datuk Seri Windsor John stressed the importance of good governance, fairness and integrity in maintaining the credibility of Asian football.
He said, “By ensuring that our regulations are applied fairly, that decisions are made with integrity and that our competitions are governed responsibly, you help protect the credibility of Asian football and the trust that our fans place in us. We must therefore be ready to keep up with the speed at which the modern game is evolving.”
The first day primarily examined disciplinary case law and regulatory developments in football, starting with presentations from the AFC’s legal team covering a range of issues, including discrimination and gender eligibility. These sessions were complemented by updates on global disciplinary case law from UEFA Legal Counsel Paul-Antoine Dumond and sports law practitioner Jaime Cambrelang.
This was followed by a presentation from CAS Scientific Counsel Imen Larabi, who shared key learnings from CAS jurisprudence, while Brianna Quinn, Partner at Bird & Bird, addressed the upcoming developments in anti-doping regulation.
The day concluded with examining the legal challenges arising from technological and commercial developments in football.
The second day broadened the focus to the changing responsibilities of legal practitioners in a sport increasingly shaped by governance challenges and commercial and technological developments.
Proceedings began with Marco Viliger, Founder and Managing Partner of MV Sports Consulting, sharing his insights on sports governance, while Andreas Krannich, Executive Vice President of Integrity and Regulatory Services at Sportradar, examined the challenges posed by betting and prediction markets for sports organisations.
Additionally, the programme explored the legal considerations surrounding the AFC’s commercial and events activities, as well as data protection for sports organisations.
The workshop concluded with a round-table discussion, providing participants with an opportunity to reflect on the key themes from the event.
AFC General Counsel & Director of Legal Affairs Andrew Mercer said, “The collective expertise and experience of our legal professionals and judicial bodies play a vital role in upholding the principles of good governance, fairness and integrity across Asian football.
“By fostering collaboration and sharing knowledge, we can continue to strengthen our legal framework, address emerging challenges and ensure that our stakeholders are equipped to meet the evolving demands of the game.”