Osasuna Challenge Barcelona Over Inigo Martinez’s Eligibility Amid Allegations of Rule Violation

Osasuna have formally appealed to the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), arguing that Barcelona defender Inigo Martinez was ineligible to play in their La Liga clash on Thursday. The dispute centers around FIFA’s regulations concerning players who miss international duty due to injury.

FIFA Rule on Player Eligibility

According to FIFA’s regulations, a player who does not report for international duty due to medical reasons cannot feature for his club within five days of the international window closing unless granted permission by the national federation. Martinez, who was left out of Spain’s squad for their recent matches due to a knee issue, played the entire 90 minutes against Osasuna.

The match, originally scheduled for March 8, was postponed following the passing of Barcelona’s club doctor, Carles Minarro Garcia. The game was later played on March 28—just a day after the conclusion of the international break and four days after Spain’s Nations League encounter against the Netherlands.

Osasuna’s Official Statement

In their formal appeal, Osasuna emphasized that Barcelona had violated FIFA’s rules by fielding Martinez. The club stated: “The club believes that footballer Iñigo Martínez’s participation in yesterday’s match violated Article 5 of Annex I of the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players, which specifies that a player who does not join his national team squad for medical reasons, or leaves the squad, may not play for his club for five calendar days following the end of the international period.”

Osasuna also highlighted how Spain’s football federation publicly confirmed on March 17 that Martinez had been withdrawn from the squad due to an issue in his right knee.

“On March 17, the Royal Spanish Football Federation announced on its communication channels that footballer Iñigo Martínez had been removed from the squad for medical reasons, specifically due to ‘internal parameniscitis in his right knee, as reported in the report received from FC Barcelona.’”

Furthermore, Osasuna pointed out that other players, Marc Casadó and Bryan Zaragoza, were also withdrawn for medical reasons, with Zaragoza being the only one to undergo evaluation by Spain’s medical staff. “It is evident that, in compliance with the aforementioned FIFA Regulations, neither of these players were eligible to participate in yesterday’s matchday 27 of LaLiga EA Sports, as the deadlines established by the regulations were not met.”

Barcelona’s Response and Confidence

Despite the appeal, Barcelona reportedly remain unconcerned about any repercussions. The club believes there is little substance to Osasuna’s claims and does not expect any punitive action.

Martinez’s absence from international duty was officially attributed to medical reasons, but Barcelona seem confident that their actions align with FIFA’s guidelines. The club maintains that there is no case for disciplinary measures.

Dani Olmo’s Injury Adds to Barcelona’s Woes

Meanwhile, Barcelona’s squad has suffered another setback, with midfielder Dani Olmo ruled out for three weeks after sustaining a right adductor injury during the Osasuna clash. The 26-year-old, who featured for Spain in both of their recent fixtures against the Netherlands, had converted a penalty in the 3-0 victory before being forced off in the first half.

Head coach Hansi Flick had already expressed his frustration over the timing of the rearranged match, particularly since key forward Raphinha was unavailable after returning from international duty with Brazil.

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