KUALA LUMPUR: Their market values dropped to zero after FIFA handed them 12-month bans over Malaysia’s falsified-document scandal.
Now, the seven players are back in club football, with their combined value estimated at €7.5 million (RM36 million).
The suspensions expired on Oct 31, making them eligible to return to competitive football from Nov 1, while Transfermarkt has begun updating their profiles.
The “Banned Seven” are Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Facundo Garces, Jon Irazabal, Rodrigo Holgado, Hector Hevel and Gabriel Palmero.
Machuca, the Argentine winger, was valued at €2.5m (RM12m), while Brazilian-born forward Figueiredo was worth €2m (RM9.6m).
Garces stood at €1.75m (RM8.4m), followed by Irazabal at €600,000 (RM2.9m), Holgado at €450,000 (RM2.2m), Hevel at €400,000 (RM1.9m) and Palmero at €50,000 (RM240,000).
Their valuations were wiped out after FIFA’s ruling, which prevented them from being registered to play in official matches during the suspension period.
Their return to domestic football was cleared after the Malaysian Football League (MFL) received formal correspondence from FIFA through FA of Malaysia (FAM).
MFL chief executive officer Shazli Shaik said the league had acted based on the official directives it received.
“We received an official letter from FAM, accompanied by a letter from FIFA,” Shazli reportedly said.
“We are not making anything up or acting on our own interpretation. The letter clearly stated that all seven players would be eligible to resume playing football from Nov 1. FAM sent the letter to MFL on Oct 30, and we acted accordingly.”
Although they remain barred from representing Harimau Malaya, the players can be registered as locals in the M-League as their Malaysian citizenship and identity cards have not been revoked.
Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT), who retained Figueiredo, Irazabal, Hevel and Palmero, are among the clubs to benefit.
Figueiredo and Irazabal have already returned to action, coming off the bench against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in the Asian Champions League Elite (ACLE) on Nov 3, where they lost 2-0 to the Korean club.
Hevel and Palmero are also registered with JDT for the 2026-2027 season, although Palmero’s current playing status remains unclear.
Machuca has returned to action with Argentine side CA Independiente, while Garces remains with Spanish club Deportivo Alaves.
Meanwhile, Holgado has been linked with a move to Brunei DPMM, but his transfer has yet to be confirmed.
However, their return to club football has not ended public scrutiny of the scandal.
Questions remain over the falsified documents, how they were submitted and who should be held accountable.
The case began in Aug 2025, when FIFA opened disciplinary proceedings against FAM and the seven players over documents used to establish their eligibility to represent Malaysia.
FIFA imposed 12-month suspensions on the players and fined FAM CHF350,000 (RM1.9m) in September, with its Appeal Committee upholding the sanctions in November.
The players and FAM then appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which temporarily lifted the bans in Jan 2026.
On Mar 5, CAS partially upheld the players’ appeals, limiting their suspensions to official matches while dismissing FAM’s appeal against the fine.