After their 3-0 loss last night, CA Osasuna has officially filed an appeal against Barcelona, accusing the team of fielding an ineligible lineup involving Iñigo Martínez.
The Navarrese club submitted their complaint to the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and issued a statement to confirm it.
“Osasuna has filed an appeal with the RFEF’s Competition Committee over the improper alignment of FC Barcelona in the match played last night at the Lluis Companys Stadium,” the statement said.
“Osasuna believes that Iñigo Martínez, whose absence from the Spanish national team was due to medical leave, was not eligible to play in yesterday’s match under FIFA regulations,” it continued.
Osasuna argues that Martínez’s participation violated Article 5 of Annex I of the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players.
The club maintains that Martínez should not have played, citing that players who leave or do not join their national teams for medical reasons cannot participate in club matches for five days following the international period.
Osasuna also pointed out that Marc Casado and their own player, Bryan Zaragoza, were also withdrawn from the Spain squad due to injuries, but only Zaragoza attended the national team camp for medical tests.
“As a result, Osasuna has decided to file this appeal to protect its rights, the fairness of the competition, and the equality of all participants,” the statement concluded.
Despite the appeal, Barcelona remains confident. The Catalan club insists that they adhered to the rules and dismisses Osasuna’s claim, asserting that all regulations were properly followed.
