KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian Football League (MFL) has defended its decision to allow the seven ineligible Malaysian players to resume competitive football, insisting it acted based on official correspondence from the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and FIFA.
The explanation comes amid growing questions from football fans over the players' return, with some netizens taking to social media to question why they should be allowed to play again following the document falsification scandal that severely damaged Malaysian football's reputation.
The decision has also attracted scrutiny because there has been no fresh public announcement from FIFA confirming that the seven players are eligible to resume playing.
Speaking to Scoop, MFL chief executive officer Mohd Shazli Shaik Mohd said the league had received an official letter from FAM, accompanied by FIFA's correspondence, confirming that the players could return to competitive action from Nov 1.
“Truthfully, we received an official letter from FAM, accompanied by a letter from FIFA. We are not making anything up or acting on our own interpretation. Everything we have done is based on the official correspondence received from the relevant authorities.
“Upon receiving the letters from FAM and FIFA, we forwarded the documents to all the clubs concerned so that they would be informed of the latest development and could make the necessary arrangements.
“The letter clearly stated that all seven players would be eligible to resume playing football from Nov 1, 2026. There was no ambiguity about the date or their eligibility to return to competitive football.
“FAM sent the letter to MFL on Oct 30, and we acted accordingly based on the information officially communicated to us,” he said.
Shazli also pointed out that Argentine midfielder Imanol Machuca had already made his first appearance for his club in Argentina on Monday, following the expiry of his suspension.
Meanwhile, senior sports analyst Sadek Mustaffa told Scoop that the seven players had fulfilled the disciplinary requirements imposed on them and were entitled to continue their professional careers after serving their suspensions.
He said their next move, including whether to return to Malaysia and feature in the domestic league, should be left to the players and the clubs interested in securing their services.
“Likewise, clubs have the right to decide whether they want to sign these players and believe they can contribute to their respective teams.
“At the end of the day, nobody can force them to play in Malaysia, just as nobody can dictate which clubs should or should not consider signing them.
“It comes down to the players' personal decisions, the willingness of clubs to offer them opportunities and how prepared both parties are to deal with the reaction that may follow,” he said.
The seven players – Facundo Garcés, Gabriel Palmero, Rodrigo Holgado, Machuca, João Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal and Héctor Hevel – were each handed 12-month suspensions and CHF2,000 fines by FIFA following the controversy over the falsification of documents used to establish their eligibility to represent Malaysia.
Of the seven players, four – Figueiredo, Palmero, Irazabal and Hevel – are attached to Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT), while Holgado is reportedly close to joining Brunei DPMM FC. The remaining two, Garcés and Machuca, are currently based in Spain and Argentina respectively.
Their return to club football has, however, reignited debate over whether serving their suspensions should be enough for them to resume playing in Malaysia, particularly given the damage the controversy has inflicted on the country's footballing reputation.
Their eligibility to represent the national team remains a separate issue from their clearance to resume club football, with the distinction likely to remain a point of contention among Malaysian football supporters. - November 3, 2026
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