KUALA LUMPUR – Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) chief executive officer Luis Garcia has voiced disappointment over a technical error in the Football Association of Malaysia’s (FAM) document submission process, which has led to the suspension of three of the club’s mixed-heritage players.
In a statement issued today, the Spaniard said the mistake had resulted in Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal and Hector Hevel being barred from playing.
“We hope the matter is resolved as soon as possible and that the players will be able to represent JDT in due course,” Garcia said.
JDT are set to face Japanese side Machida Zelvia in the AFC Champions League (ACL) Elite at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri on Tuesday night.
On Friday, FIFA imposed a one-year suspension on Facundo Garcés, Irazabal, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Hevel, Figueiredo and Gabriel Palmero due to documentation issues during Malaysia’s Asian Cup Qualifier against Vietnam last June.
FAM was also fined 350,000 Swiss francs (about RM1.85 million).
It was reported that FAM, through its secretary-general Datuk Noor Azman Rahman, is awaiting FIFA’s full written judgment before filing an appeal.
“We have identified a technical error in the document submission process carried out by our administrative staff. FAM takes this matter seriously,” he said in a statement.
“However, we wish to stress that the heritage players involved are legitimate Malaysian citizens.”
FIFA’s disciplinary committee concluded that tampered documents were used during the registration process, in breach of Article 22 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code. Each of the seven players has also been fined 2,000 Swiss francs (about RM10,560).
The case has now been referred to the FIFA Football Tribunal for a full determination of the players’ eligibility.
Spanish club Deportivo Alavés has reportedly lodged a complaint after defender Garcés — among those suspended — was banned from playing not only for Malaysia but also for his club. — September 30, 2025