Barcelona Cleared of Fielding Ineligible Player in Win Over Osasuna

Jakarta, Xweb.biz.id – Barcelona has been cleared of any wrongdoing over allegations of fielding an ineligible player during their 3-0 victory against Osasuna on March 27, 2025. The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) confirmed that the match result stands and will not be overturned.

“The RFEF allowed players to leave the training camp without imposing any restrictions and subsequently issued a withdrawal certificate, implicitly indicating its intention not to enforce the ban,” the federation said in an official statement, as quoted by Football Espana on Friday (April 11, 2025).

However, Osasuna has rejected the ruling, arguing that there was no public or direct communication from the RFEF regarding the lifting of the player ban. The club plans to appeal the decision to the RFEF Appeals Committee.

The dispute centers around Barcelona’s use of Inigo Martinez, who had been called up by the Spanish national team for the international break but was later withdrawn due to a knee injury.

According to Article 5 of FIFA’s Regulations Annex I, players released from national team duty are prohibited from appearing for their clubs for five days after the end of the international window. With FIFA’s window ending on March 25, Osasuna claimed that Martinez should have only been eligible after March 30.

Despite this, the RFEF’s official withdrawal certificate nullified Osasuna’s complaint. As a result, Barcelona retains their 67 points at the top of La Liga, four points ahead of second-place Real Madrid, with Atletico Madrid trailing in third on 60 points.

Had Osasuna’s protest been successful, they would have been awarded a 3-0 win, potentially tightening the La Liga title race considerably.

The match was originally scheduled for March 8 but postponed following the death of Barcelona’s team doctor, Carles Minarro Garcia. It was rescheduled for March 27, just two days after the international break ended—a timeframe both clubs had initially opposed.

Inigo Martinez, a key figure in Barcelona’s defense, has played 23 La Liga matches this season and completed the full 90 minutes during the 3-0 win over Osasuna, with goals from Ferran Torres, Dani Olmo, and Robert Lewandowski.

FOLLOW GOOGLE NEWS XWEB