Center back facundo Garces - a prominent naturalized player of the Malaysian national team is facing the biggest shock of his career after FIFA issued a 12-month ban.
According to AS, the management of Alaves (La Liga) has removed him from the list of players for this season, and considered terminating his contract early. Not only has Garces lost the opportunity to play at club level, but his ability to return to the national team is also uncertain.
Before being banned from playing, Garces was expected to be an important factor in the process of upgrading the Malaysian team. He had an impressive debut when he helped the home team win 4-0 against Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers on June 10.
However, just a few days later, FIFA stepped in and discovered serious violations in the handling of the Federation of Malaysia Football Associations (FAM)'s documents. Finally, FIFA issued a 1-year ban on 7 naturalized Malaysian players for violating regulations related to nationality and registration to compete internationally.
This penalty has severely affected Garces' career. The remaining 6 Malaysian players have not been able to predict their future.
A few days ago, the Football Federation of Malaysia had just completed the appeal file to FIFA. In case FIFA maintains its stance, FAM can still appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The deadline for the case to be closed is 3-6 months, which means it will last until the following year.
