Barcelona could face points deduction after fielding ineligible player

The Catalan club defeated Osasuna 3-0 in LaLiga game.

Barcelona’s decision to use an ineligible player during their 3-0 victory over Osasuna on Thursday will be looked into. Due to center-back Inigo Martinez’s “improper fielding,” Osasuna have appealed to the Spanish FA.

Despite missing the previous week’s Spain international match, Martinez, 33, played the entire 90 minutes in the LaLiga game.

According to a statement from the Spanish national team, the former Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao defender left Luis de la Fuente’s squad following a Barcelona medical report revealing that he had a knee injury.

Martinez was subsequently replaced by Dean Huijsen of Bournemouth in the Spain squad. Additionally, Osasuna assert that Martinez’s participation in the LaLiga match violated Article 5 of the FIFA rules.

Unless specifically approved by the national federation, a provision in that article essentially states that any player who misses an international break due to an injury cannot play for their club within five days after their country’s most recent international match.

Martinez, who played against Osasuna just four days following Spain’s Nations League second leg against the Netherlands on Sunday, could be in big trouble now. Barcelona can now be punished if it is discovered that they violated the rules.

Potential penalties have included a deduction of points or a reversal of the outcome. After the victory over Osasuna put Barcelona three points ahead of rival Real Madrid at the top of LaLiga, that could hurt the team’s season.

Meanwhile, Osasuna, who are 14th on the table, are in dire need of points. It is currently unknown whether Martinez was given permission by the Spanish FA to leave the training. However, the match’s last-minute nature might potentially work in the 27-time LaLiga champions’ favour.

Following the unforeseen passing of Barcelona club doctor Carles Minarro Garcia last Friday, the match was moved from the scheduled time of March 8 to Thursday night, giving both Barcelona and Osasuna just over a week for preparation.

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