FIFA upholds 12-month sentence, 7 Malaysian players no longer eligible for national team
FIFA upheld the 12-month suspension and fine; the five-year residency rule disqualified the naturalized group from playing for Malaysia. FAM is considering appealing to CAS.
FIFA upheld the 12-month suspension and fine, meaning seven naturalized Malaysian players will have little chance of returning to the national team. Despite completing their disciplinary actions, they will still not be eligible to play internationally due to FIFA's five-year residency requirement in Malaysia.
Why the door closed
Sports lawyer Nik Erman Nik Roseli confirmed that seven players including Hector Hevel, Gabriel Palmero, Facundo Garcés, Rodrigo Holgado, Jon Irazabal, Joao Figueiredo and Imanol Machuca cannot represent Malaysia, even after their suspensions have ended.
“To play for Malaysia, a player must reside here for at least five years, equivalent to 183 days per year during that period. This is clearly stipulated in Article 6, Paragraph 5 of the FIFA Statutes,” he explained.
This means they have to go through the process all over again: five years of residency in Malaysia before they are eligible to play internationally. Of this group, three players, Jon Irazabal, Joao Figueiredo and Hector Hevel, are currently based in Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT), so meeting the residency requirement is somewhat easier in terms of geography and schedule.
Names directly affected
- Hector Hevel
- Gabriel Palmero
- Facundo Garcés
- Rodrigo Holgado
- Jon Irazabal
- Joao Figueiredo
- Imanol Machuca
Age: a big barrier after suspension
When the suspensions ended, the age of the group of players were at a challenging level for top football, especially with the high intensity international schedule.
| Player | Age at end of sentence |
|---|---|
| Rodrigo Holgado | 36 |
| Facundo Garcés | 32 |
| Imanol Machuca | 31 |
| Gabriel Palmero | 29 |
| Jon Irazabal | 34 |
| Joao Figueiredo | 35 |
| Hector Hevel | 35 |
Domestic market problem and contract signing ability
The players’ agent, Effendi Jagan Abdullah, said the chances of them being signed by Super League clubs are low due to financial constraints and high salaries. “Most Malaysian clubs do not have the resources to pay high salaries. Moreover, many of them are in their twilight years and cannot cope with the intensity of international competition,” he said.
In that context, maintaining a foothold in the domestic league to fulfill the 5-year residency obligation becomes increasingly difficult. With three players currently playing for JDT, staying can help meet the residency requirement, but the door to the national team still depends entirely on FIFA regulations.
Sentence and appeal process
FIFA has rejected the appeal of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), upholding the 12-month suspension and fines of 2,000 Swiss francs each. FAM was fined a total of 350,000 Swiss francs for breaching player status regulations.
According to the latest announcement, FAM is waiting for a detailed explanation from FIFA before deciding whether to bring the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) or not.
View from Europe
At the club level, Deportivo Alaves President Alfonso Fernandez de Troconiz expressed his belief in midfielder Facundo Garcés' innocence and hoped the player would be vindicated after FIFA's punishment.
Long-term impact on the Malaysian team
The ruling means Malaysia’s personnel plans will have to pivot to players who meet FIFA requirements or a long-term roadmap for a new group of naturalised players who will be granted five-year residency. In the short term, domestic resources and the youth system will play a key role in the upcoming training sessions.
