PETALING JAYA: Deportivo Alaves have confirmed that centreback Facundo Garces can continue training with the club following the latest verdict from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
The 26-year-old is among seven players suspended by FIFA for using forged documentation to represent Malaysia's national football team.
While Garces may carry on with his professional duties at the club, he will not be allowed to take part in any matches during the suspension period.
"According to the notified decision, the player will be ineligible to play official matches for twelve months, with the time already served being counted toward this sanction.
"Consequently, the suspension from playing matches begins today, March 5, 2026, taking into account the period between Sept 25, 2025, and Jan 26, 2026,"the club said in a statement on Thursday.
"Furthermore, as established in the resolution, the sanction is limited to participation in matches; therefore, Facundo Garces may continue training with the club and carrying out his professional activity during this period.
"Deportivo Alaves respect the decisions made by the competent bodies and, from this moment forward, will thoroughly analyse the full content of the resolution and the current situation."
CAS, based in Lausanne, partially upheld an appeal by seven footballers sanctioned for falsifying documents in an eligibility case involving the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), ruling that their suspension applies only to official matches.
In their decision issued on Thursday, CAS confirmed that the players will still serve a 12-month ban but amended the earlier sanction imposed by FIFA, allowing them to continue training and taking part in other football-related activities with their respective clubs.
The seven players involved are Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Gabriel Palmero, Jon Irazabal and Héctor Hevel.
However, a separate appeal by FAM was dismissed, meaning the governing body must still pay a fine of 350,000 Swiss francs (RM1.8mil).
