Spanish club remove Malaysia naturalized player from squad following FIFA suspension

The Argentine-born defender was among seven players sanctioned for violations relating to document falsification following a FIFA investigation into their origins, which deemed them ineligible to play for Malaysia.

FIFA opened disciplinary proceedings and later confirmed significant inconsistencies in the paperwork used to establish the Malaysian lineage of these players, that their grandparents were not born in Malaysia as started in the Football Association of Malaysia's submissions to FIFA.

Facundo Garces during a training session of Deportivo Alaves. Photo by Instagram/@facundogarces

According to Spanish outlet AS, Deportivo Alaves have removed Garces from their squad for La Liga this season and even considered an early contract termination.

Before the FIFA ban, he was a regular for the Spanish club.

Garces made an impressive debut for Malaysia in the 4-0 win over Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers on June 10.

But getting banned from football for a full year at his prime could stall Gerces' development and even ruin his rising career in Europe.

FIFA sanctions also cast doubt on the validity of his Malaysian nationality. Even when the 12-month ban ends, it will be highly difficult for him to return to play for Malaysia.

Malaysia's case echoes Timor-Leste's past sanctions, when multiple naturalized players were suspended after FIFA uncovered serious breaches of eligibility rules.