PETALING JAYA: The seven foreign players suspended over the Malaysian mixed-heritage falsification probe have maintained a low profile, even as details from their disciplinary hearings revealed widespread reliance on agents and limited personal knowledge of the documentation used in their eligibility applications.
Since the suspensions were issued, several players have remained active on social media but without addressing the investigation.
Gabriel Palmero has been the most visible, posting photos of himself taking part in marathon competitions. Rodrigo Holgado has shared images from events and moments with loved ones in Argentina, while Imanol Machuca has posted mostly about close family members.
Others, however, have been silent. Hector Hevel, Jon Irazabal and Joao Figueiredo have not posted any updates since the suspensions began.
Facundo Garces has also avoided public comment and no longer lists his club or Malaysia in his Instagram biography, though he still displays older photos featuring his time with the national team and Spanish club Deportivo Alaves.
During their hearings, all seven players maintained that they were unaware of any falsified documentation and had relied heavily on their agents throughout the nationality application process.
Here’s a look at the situations of each of the seven banned players.
GABRIEL PALMERO
Palmero initially told the panel his grandmother was born in Spain before correcting himself to say Malaysia. He admitted he had not reviewed any of the documents submitted on his behalf, saying he relied on what his family and agent told him. He also confirmed he did not question his agent after the sanctions were issued.
FACUNDO GARCES
Garces said he was approached by agent Federico Raspanti with the proposal to represent Malaysia and submitted family birth certificates without examining them. He acknowledged he did not follow up with his agent or the FAM after learning of conflicting documents, saying it was “not his responsibility” to verify them.
RODRIGO HOLGADO
Holgado described the offer to play for Malaysia as an opportunity for his career. He said he believed his grandfather was born in Malaysia based on information from his father, but confirmed he never checked the documents and did not reach out to his agent or the FAM after the sanction.
IMANOL MACHUCA
Machuca said he was told his grandmother was Malaysian and sent documents without verifying them. He admitted he did not question his agent after learning that a falsified birth certificate had been used.
JOAO FIGUEIREDO
Figueiredo said he had been informed that his grandmother was Malaysian. He confirmed the chance to play for Malaysia came through his agent shortly after joining a Malaysian club.
JON IRAZABAL
Irazabal testified that he changed agents after being offered the opportunity to represent Malaysia, believing his grandfather had Malaysian roots. He did not indicate that he had checked any of the documents submitted.
HECTOR HEVEL
Hevel acknowledged signing a document stating he had lived in Malaysia for 10 years, despite never having done so. He said he signed without reading it and did not make any enquiries with his agent after learning that falsified documents had been used.
The FIFA Appeals Committee have noted a consistent pattern among the players - none reviewed the documents submitted on their behalf, and none followed up with their agents after the falsification allegations surfaced.
The seven remain suspended as investigations continue.
