Vélez end Imanol Machuca's contract after FIFA sanction | OneFootball

Vélez Sarsfield decided to terminate Imanol Machuca’s contract due to FIFA’s sanction over the “Malaysia-gate” scandal.

The “Fortín” board chose to trigger the termination clause established in the loan contract to part ways with the former Unión player, as first reported by the outlet Sábado Vélez. The move is directly linked to the punishment imposed by the international body, which bars the winger from returning to official competition until the first days of November 2026.

The forward had arrived in Liniers at the start of 2025 on loan from Brazilian football. However, in September of that same year, he received a 12-month suspension. After his initial deal expired in December, and with a precautionary measure from CAS still pending, Vélez backed him again and renewed the loan until the end of the season, while keeping the contractual option to end the employment relationship in June.

The reasons for his departure and his stats at the club

The player’s situation had already been dragging along administrative and financial complications within the club:

During his spell wearing the “V Azulada” shirt, Imanol Machuca played 28 matches and scored one goal, including the games before the sanction and the four matches in which he took part thanks to the CAS appeal. During his time at the club, he was part of the squad that won the International Super Cup and the Argentine Super Cup.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.