Malaysian naturalized player terminated contract after CAS ruling

Imanol Machuca, one of Malaysia's seven illegally naturalized players, is likely to face unemployment following the recent ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled that the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) violated regulations in the naturalization process of seven players. This decision means FAM and the involved players will continue to comply with the disciplinary sanctions previously imposed by FIFA.

Among the affected players, Imanol Machuca is reportedly set to leave his parent club Velez Sarsfield in Argentina. Being allowed to train but not participate in official matches is considered one of the reasons leading to Machuca's decision.

Additionally, sources from Argentina indicate the club also plans to activate a unilateral termination clause for Machuca's loan contract in June. According to the plan, Velez will continue paying Machuca's salary until mid-year, while allowing him to train with the team. After that, the player will return to Brazil to serve a suspension lasting until November.

Imanol Machuca is among the group of seven naturalized players of the Malaysian national team penalized by FIFA. The issue stems from the midfielder born in 2000 being fielded in Malaysia's match against Vietnam during the second round of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, despite FIFA later determining he lacked sufficient evidence of Malaysian heritage.

Notably, Machuca only played about 17 minutes in that match. Nevertheless, that brief appearance resulted in him receiving disciplinary sanctions similar to Malaysia's six other naturalized players: Gabriel Palmero, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal, and Hector Hevel.

For the Malaysian national team, the unfavorable CAS ruling could put Malaysia at risk of facing severe penalties from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The most serious scenario is Malaysia being handed a 3-0 default loss in two matches of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers due to using ineligible naturalized players, including fixtures against Nepal and Vietnam.

Beyond altering match results, AFC may also impose other disciplinary measures under current regulations. The organization could even consider voiding Malaysia's entire record in this qualifying campaign, or more severely, disqualify the team from the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. Additionally, FAM risks incurring significant financial fines.