Osasuna have filed a complaint with the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) against Barcelona after claiming defender Inigo Martinez was ineligible for last night’s La Liga clash between the teams.
FIFA rules stipulate a player cannot play for five days for his club side if they do not accept an international call-up.
Martinez did not join up with Spain for the Nations League doubleheader against the Netherlands – the second leg of which was played on Sunday – due to a knee injury but then played the full 90 minutes for Barca in their re-arranged game with Osasuna last night.
The game had to be rescheduled after the original fixture on March 8 was postponed shortly before kick-off when it was announced Barca’s first-team doctor Carles Minarro Garcia had died.
Minarro Garcia, 53, passed away at the team hotel in the lead up to the match. He had been working at the club since 2017.
Barca and Osasuna appealed the decision to stage the game on Thursday due to the fact players from both teams would be unable to play due to travelling back from international commitments, but it was rejected by the RFEF.
Osasuna complain to ‘ensure equal conditions for all participants’
Osasuna have now gone back to the RFEF to lodge a formal complaint against Martinez’s participation in a match Barcelona won 3-0 to move three points clear at the top of La Liga.
PRESS RELEASE | Osasuna appeals FC Barcelona’s alleged ineligible lineup in LaLiga match.
— C. A. OSASUNA (@osasuna_en) March 28, 2025
A club statement read: “Club Atlético Osasuna has filed an appeal with the Competition Committee of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), claiming that FC Barcelona fielded an ineligible player yesterday at Lluís Companys Stadium.
“The club argues that defender Iñigo Martínez’s participation violated Article 5 of Annex I of FIFA’s Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players. The regulation states that any player who withdraws from their national team squad due to medical reasons – or leaves camp for the same reason – cannot play for their club within five days of the end of the international period.
“On March 17, the RFEF announced that Martínez had been withdrawn from Spain’s squad due to medical reasons, citing “internal parameniscitis in his right knee,” as stated in a report from FC Barcelona. That same day, midfielder Marc Casadó and forward Bryan Zaragoza were also ruled out of the national team due to medical issues. However, only Zaragoza joined the squad for evaluation by Spain’s medical staff. According to FIFA’s regulations, Osasuna asserts that none of these players were eligible to compete in yesterday’s LaLiga EA Sports matchday 27 fixture, as the mandatory waiting period had not been fulfilled.
“Since the RFEF itself confirmed Martínez’s absence was due to a medical condition, Osasuna contends that no exceptional circumstances apply that would override FIFA’s regulations. The club distinguishes this case from the release of defender Gerard Martín and midfielders Pablo Torre and Fermín López from Spain’s U-21 squad, as their withdrawals were not medically related.
“Osasuna maintains that Martínez, who was ruled out of the Spanish squad due to medical reasons, was ineligible to play in yesterday’s match. Consequently, the club has filed an appeal, citing its commitment to defending its rights, upholding fair competition, and ensuring equal conditions for all participants.”
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