Malaysia causes turmoil for multiple European and South American clubs

The citizenship fraud scandal involving the Malaysian national team has not only led to severe sanctions from FIFA against the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), but also left numerous European and South American clubs struggling after losing key players.

On September 26, FIFA officially concluded that FAM forged citizenship documents for seven players during the match against Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.

The players involved are Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Facundo Tomas Garces, Rodrigo Julian Holgado, Imanol Javier Machuca, Joao Vitor Brandao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal Iraurgui, and Hector Alejandro Hevel Serrano. All have been banned from football activities for 12 months and fined 2,000 Swiss francs each.

This penalty has triggered a “domino effect” for many parent clubs. In Spain, Facundo Garces, a key defender for Deportivo Alaves, was excluded from the squad for the upcoming match against Mallorca this weekend. Alaves stated they are considering an appeal due to the loss of an important defensive player. Also in Spain, Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, currently on loan at Unionistas from Tenerife, will be sidelined for the entire season, forcing the club to urgently find a replacement.

In South America, Rodrigo Julian Holgado is the leading scorer for America (Colombia) with seven goals in 28 matches, but now faces a 12-month suspension. Imanol Javier Machuca, playing for Vélez Sarsfield (Brazil), is in a similar situation, disrupting the South American club’s squad plans.

In Malaysia itself, Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) suffers the most severe blow, losing three key players simultaneously: Joao Vitor Figueiredo, Hector Alejandro Hevel Serrano, and Jon Irazabal Iraurgui. These players have been vital components of JDT’s lineup for many seasons, so their long-term absence puts the club at risk of a serious squad crisis.

According to South American media, if the sanctions remain, many players’ careers could be halted. A year-long suspension will not only affect their form and fitness but could also cause them to lose their place in the team and make it difficult to find new clubs after the ban ends.

Besides individual fines, FIFA also imposed a collective penalty on FAM: 350,000 Swiss francs (440,000 USD). Additionally, the case has been forwarded to the Football Tribunal to further investigate the legitimacy of these players having represented Malaysia. Both FAM and the seven players have only 10 days to respond and file appeals.

This citizenship scandal quickly became a major focus in international football. It not only exposed flaws in FAM’s player management but also caused direct repercussions for many clubs in Europe and the Americas.

It remains unclear whether clubs will be able to appeal to reduce the players’ punishments, but Malaysian football is undoubtedly facing an unprecedented crisis, with consequences expected to ripple for months to come.

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