Recently, in an exchange with a local media channel, Imanol Machuca said that the past period was a period of many fluctuations, but currently he only prioritizes regaining his form in the colors of Velez Sarsfield club.
This player emphasized that what happened belongs to the past and he himself needs to look to the future instead of recalling the incident of wearing the Malaysian national team jersey.
According to Machuca, the suspension after the Malaysian naturalized player incident and the surrounding controversy greatly affected his career, but it was also an experience that helped him mature when he returned to play.
Machuca is 1 of 7 players identified as not eligible for Malaysian citizenship after FIFA's investigation. The files submitted by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) were concluded to have signs of forgery, leading to the player being suspended for 12 months and subject to financial penalties.
In addition to Machuca, this list also includes Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal, Hector Hevel, Gabriel Palmero, Rodrigo Holgado and Facundo Garces. One of the biggest consequences is the possibility that the Malaysian team will be defeated by Vietnam in the Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers.
Regarding legal developments, on February 15, the General Secretary of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Windsor Paul John said that FAM has filed an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), but the main goal is to ask for a reduced sentence for the player, not to reverse the entire FIFA ruling.
According to Mr. Windsor, CAS can consider 2 scenarios. If the appeal is accepted, the ban from competition may be lifted soon. Conversely, if it fails, the penalty may be maintained or even extended.
The AFC Secretary General also assessed that the FAM's ability to reverse the situation is very low, because FIFA has collected enough evidence that players do not meet the bloodline or residence conditions as prescribed. The appeal is considered FAM's last chance, with the hearing scheduled to take place on February 26.
In that context, Machuca's statement shows that the players involved are trying to separate themselves from legal disputes and focus on club-level careers.
However, the incident is still considered one of the biggest scandals of Malaysian football in recent years and may lead to long-term consequences for the national team as well as the management system of FAM.
