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Football Association Malaysia (FAM) has been making news headlines since it sparked controversy over forged registration documents of seven naturalised players in the Harimau Malaya football team.
The International Federation of Football Association (FIFA) Disciplinary Committee found that FAM submitted documents that were “doctored” or inconsistent when registering seven naturalised players for Malaysia’s national team. The players in question: Gabriel Palmero, Facundo Garcés, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazábal and Hector Hevel.
The documents claimed these players had Malaysian heritage (e.g., grandparents born in Malaysia) to satisfy eligibility under FIFA rules, but FIFA obtained original birth-certificates showing discrepancies (grandparents born in other countries) and concluded that due diligence was lacking.
Facundo Garcés booted off Deportivo Alavés
Spanish football team Deportivo Alavés took Argentinian footballer Facundo Tomás Garcés off the La Liga squad this season.
According to a statement on the club’s official website, Garcés has been suspended from the team as a result of the sanction the International Federation of Football Association (FIFA) Disciplinary Committee imposed on him, until the ongoing matter is resolved.
FAM suspends Secretary-General
During a press conference on Friday (17 October), FAM announced that its Secretary-General Datuk Noor Azman Rahman, who oversaw the players’ registrations, is suspended from duty to pave the way for an independent investigation.
FAM deputy president Datuk S. Sivasundaram verified that Azman’s suspension was a joint decision made on Thursday (16 October), enabling an external committee to investigate the documentation and eligibility process that resulted in FIFA’s disciplinary action.
The committee, named the Independent Administrative and Governance Committee, will investigate how the seven players’ naturalisation and registration were managed internally and pinpoint any procedural shortcomings in FAM’s administrative processes.
While FAM promised to provide transparency over FIFA’s sanctions, the press conference only raised more questions than answers as FAM officials sidestepped key questions on accountability, timelines and the scope of their internal probe.
Sivasundaram said the association “fully accepts responsibility” for the administrative lapse but urged patience as an independent panel is being assembled.
When asked who would serve on the panel, when it would begin, or whether findings would be made public, Sivasundaram only said the structure was “being finalised” and FAM “wants to do this properly”.
Watch the full press conference here:
On 26 September, FIFA suspended seven naturalised players on Malaysia’s national football team Harimau Malaya for 12 months, and fined Football Association Malaysia (FAM) 350,000 Swiss Francs (RM1.8 million) over forged documents used for an Asia Cup Qualifier.
In a previous statement, FAM said it had identified a technical error in the submission process involving the seven players’ documents, which was made by an administrative staff member.
FAM lodged a formal appeal on 14 October, with FIFA to decide on 30 October.
READ MORE: Why Did FIFA Sanction FAM And Seven Naturalised Players? Here’s What We Know
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