A newly surfaced document has intensified the FIFA probe into Malaysian naturalized players, casting doubt on defender Facundo Garces' claimed Malaysian lineage. The alleged birth certificate of his grandfather indicates an Argentine birth, contradicting submissions by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM). This revelation poses challenges to Malaysia's appeal against the players' suspensions.
The controversy over seven naturalized players' eligibility for Malaysia's national football team has deepened following the emergence of a document purportedly showing the birth certificate of Facundo Garces' grandfather, Carlos Rogelio Fernandez. First reported by Argentine news portal Capital de Noticias, the document claims Fernandez was born on May 29, 1930, in Santa Fe, Argentina, specifically in the Villa Maria Selva neighborhood. It states that both Fernandez and Garces' great-grandfather were Argentine citizens, with the address matching the 1930s numbering system in northern Salvador del Carril, Santa Fe.
FIFA's prior investigation aligned with these findings, confirming via the Civil Registry of Santa Fe Province that Fernandez was born at his mother's home on 22nd Street in Villa Maria Selva—not in Penang, Malaysia, as FAM had claimed. The registry entry reads: “Mrs. Sebastiana Justa Fernandez, single, Argentine, resident of Villa Maria Selva, declared that at her home on 22nd Street, a white male child was born, whom she recognises as her natural son.” This indicates Fernandez's mother and Garces' great-grandmother were Argentine, effectively eliminating Malaysian ancestry.
The document's authenticity remains unverified, but it supports FIFA's conclusion that FAM submitted altered birth certificates for players including Garces and Imanol Machuca. For Machuca, records show his grandmother was born in Roldan, Santa Fe province, not Penang. The implicated players are Garces (Argentina), Gabriel Palmero and Jon Irazabal (Spain), Rodrigo Holgado (Argentina), Joao Figueiredo (Brazil), and Hector Hevel (Holland).
Last month, FIFA fined FAM 350,000 Swiss francs (RM1.9 million) and each player 2,000 Swiss francs, imposing 12-month bans from football activities. Argentine outlet CDN's probe suggests Malaysia's appeal faces significant hurdles, as the evidence reinforces the falsification claims.