Spanish La Liga club Alaves has announced its intention to file an appeal with FIFA following the global football governing body’s decision to suspend their crucial defender, Facundo Garces, for a period of one year. This significant ban stems from allegations that Garces was involved in falsifying documents to obtain Malaysian citizenship, subsequently leading to his appearance for the Malaysian national football team.
FIFA’s investigation uncovered widespread irregularities, resulting in substantial penalties. The Malaysian Football Federation (FAM) has been fined over $400,000, and seven players, including Garces, have been banned from all football activities for 12 months. This disciplinary action was taken after FIFA determined that FAM had manipulated citizenship documents for these seven foreign-born players. These players featured prominently during a 2027 Asian Cup final qualifying round match where Malaysia defeated Vietnam 4-0.
According to findings from FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee, the seven foreign players integrated into the Malaysian squad were found to have committed document fraud. The group includes Spanish-born players Gabriel Palmero and Jon Irazabal; Argentinian-born players Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, and Imanol Machuca; Brazilian-born player Joao Figueiredo; and Dutch-born player Hector Hevel.
The immediate consequence of FIFA’s sanctions was felt by Alaves last weekend when Facundo Garces, a vital component of their defense, was removed from the squad for their La Liga fixture against Mallorca. The club expressed considerable surprise at the news, especially given that the 26-year-old Spanish-born defender had played a full 909 minutes across six top-flight matches this season. Alaves’ general manager, Eduardo Cudet, had no alternative but to comply with FIFA’s directive and withdraw Garces from the team.
The Malaysian national team had initially naturalized these seven players under specific sports regulations, and their details were registered with FIFA. All implicated players participated in the crucial Asian Cup 2027 Group F qualifier against Vietnam, which Malaysia won 4-0 at the Bukit Jalil Stadium in June.
In an official statement, FIFA confirmed, “FIFA has received complaints regarding the eligibility of those seven players. The Malaysian Football Federation used falsified documents to enable foreign players to participate on the field.”
After a thorough review of all available evidence, FIFA not only imposed a financial penalty of $438,700 on the Malaysian Football Federation but also fined each of the seven players $2,500. Their 12-month ban from football activities officially commenced on September 26. The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has since referred the complex case to the FIFA Arbitrator for further consideration.
FIFA has also extended the right for FAM to submit an appeal against these decisions, granting them a strict 10-day window to prepare and present comprehensive documentation and justifications. In response, FAM issued a clarification on the same day, asserting that all naturalization documents for the players had been submitted to FIFA and were processed in strict adherence to FIFA’s own guidelines, thus validating the players’ official appearances for the Malaysian team. FAM has also declared its intention to lodge an appeal against FIFA’s ruling.
