FIFA releases statements of 7 naturalized Malaysian players
FIFA's 63-page document reveals seven naturalized players all followed instructions from their agents; FIFA affirms integrity was damaged, rejects appeal and expands investigation.
FIFA released a 63-page document revealing the testimony of seven players who played for the Malaysian national team in the investigation into the forged nationality document scandal. All of them confirmed that they only submitted their documents following the instructions of their representatives, and that they were not directly involved in or aware of the process. FIFA stressed that the use of invalid documents had seriously damaged the integrity and transparency of international football, and rejected all appeals from FAM and the players.
Key statements: the common denominator is the representative
The testimonies revealed a common denominator: total reliance on the representative in preparing and filing the application. Here is a summary of the key points by individual:
| Player | Main points in the testimony |
|---|---|
| Gabriel Palmero Arrocha | Initially mistakenly thought his grandmother was born in Spain, later corrected to Malaysia; admitted not carefully checking the documents provided by his father and representative. |
| Facundo Garces | The opportunity to play for Malaysia came from agent Federico Raspanti; no verification of family background. |
| Rodrigo Holgado | See wearing the Malaysian shirt as “a career opportunity”. |
| Imanol Machuca | Submitted application as instructed by representative, unaware of violation. |
| Joao Figueiredo Brandão | Similar: follow the agent's instructions, don't check the details. |
| Jon Irazabal | Johor Darul Ta'zim player; completely trusted his agent, did not check the authenticity of the documents even though he signed a confirmation of blood relationship with Malaysia. |
| Hector Hevel | The Johor Darul Ta'zim player also testified that he was only following instructions and signed a document confirming his blood relationship with Malaysia. |
FIFA's stance and legal developments
FIFA asserted that although the players were not directly involved in the forgery, the use of invalid documents had “seriously damaged the integrity of football”. This was the basis for the Appeal Committee to reject the entire complaint from FAM and the players.
The agency has requested an investigation into the FAM General Secretary, as well as two FIFA-licensed agents, Nicolás Puppo and Frederico Moraes. FIFA also announced that it would coordinate with the authorities in Brazil, Argentina, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia, as the act of forging documents could constitute a criminal offense.
Impact and next steps
The new developments push the case into a deeper legal phase, with a focus on the role of individuals and organizations involved in the filing process. The Football Association of Malaysia confirmed that it will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport following FIFA’s ruling on the case of seven players who falsified naturalization documents.
The current focus is on three points: FIFA's decision to reject the appeal, the request to expand the investigation of related subjects and the coordination with the competent authorities of many countries. The next developments will depend on the progress of the investigation and the appeal procedure as announced by FAM.