Sanctions reduced for Malaysia footballers who played with falsified documents
The Court of Arbitration for Sport however, upheld FIFA's US$450,000 fine on the Football Association of Malaysia.
Vietnam's Chau Ngoc Quang (left) fights for the ball with Malaysia's Facundo Tomas Garces during the AFC Asian Cup qualifier football match between Malaysia and Vietnam at the National Stadium Bukit Jalil in Kuala Lumpur on Jun 10, 2025. (File photo: AFP/Mohd Rasfan)
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Thursday (Mar 5) eased sanctions on seven footballers who played for Malaysia using falsified naturalisation documents, ruling they will serve a 12-month suspension from official matches only.
Deportivo Alaves' Facundo Garces was among seven players banned for a year by FIFA in September, after the football governing body found that doctored documentation had been used so that they could play in an Asian Cup qualifier for Malaysia against Vietnam.
The other players were Gabriel Arrocha (Unionistas de Salamanca), Rodrigo Holgado (America de Cali), Imanol Machuca (Velez Sarsfield), Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal and Hector Hevel (all Johor Darul Ta'zim).
At the time, the group was handed a 12-month suspension from all football-related activities.
"After considering the evidence, the CAS Panel found that the infraction of falsifying eligibility documents was established and that the 12-month ban from playing matches was a reasonable and proportionate sanction for the players, given their complicit responsibility in this fraud," CAS said in a statement.
"However, in accordance with Article 22 FDC, the Panel decided that the ban should only apply to matches and not to all football-related activities. This means the players can resume training with their respective clubs during the ban."
CAS, however, upheld FIFA's CHF 350,000 (US$450,000) fine on the Football Association of Malaysia.
Spanish club Deportivo Alves has confirmed that Garces can resume training with the club following the latest verdict.
"The sanction is limited to participation in matches. Garces may continue training and developing his professional activity with the club during this period," it said in a a statement on Thursday, as quoted by the New Straits Times.
The club also added that it respects the decisions of the relevant authorities and will carefully examine the full resolution.
