PETALING JAYA: One of the mixed-heritage players suspended by FIFA Imanol Machuca may soon be cleared to play, according to his club coach.
Velez Sarsfield manager Guillermo Barros Schelotto revealed that winger Machuca has expressed optimism that FIFA could overturn his suspension.
"We spoke with him - he was travelling, in transit, and will arrive here on Saturday. He’s positive about his situation, about having made a good defence, and that FIFA might clear him to play. We’re waiting for that," Schelotto told the Argentinian press.
"Until we have a response from FIFA, we can’t determine anything about what’s next. He has helped the team a lot, so we’ll see what happens," added the former Argentina international.
On October 6, FIFA’s disciplinary committee ruled that the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) had submitted forged documents to register seven mixed-heritage players.
Besides Machuca, the other players were Hector Hevel, Jon Irazabal, Gabriel Palmero, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, and Joao Figueiredo.
FIFA’s investigation uncovered discrepancies between the original birth certificates obtained by the world body and those submitted by FAM to support the players’ eligibility to represent Malaysia.
FIFA found both FAM and the players guilty of breaching Article 22 of the FIFA disciplinary code, which concerns the falsification and use of forged documents in official proceedings.
As a result, FAM were fined 350,000 Swiss francs (RM1.8mil), while each player received a fine of 2,000 Swiss francs (RM11,000) and a 12-month suspension from all football-related activities.
