Osasuna lose appeal over Barcelona fielding Martinez

ROME (Agencies): Osasuna have had their appeal dismissed over Barcelona fielding defender Inigo Martinez in their LaLiga match last month after he sat out Spain’s game through injury, the club said on Friday. Osasuna filed the appeal with the Spanish football federation (RFEF), stating Barca should not have fielded Martinez over a technicality after he withdrew from the Spain squad for their Nations League games due to a swollen knee. Martinez then played the full 90 minutes in Barcelona’s 3-0 win in the rescheduled game on March 27, four days after Spain’s match. The original fixture on March 8 was postponed after the death of Barcelona’s club doctor. Osasuna’s appeal was based on a belief that Barca violated Article 5 of Annex I of the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players. This states that a player who does not join or leaves his national team for medical reasons may not play matches for his club during the five calendar days following the end of the international period. Osasuna said they were informed of the appeal’s dismissal, and the reasoning behind the decision. “The RFEF, by allowing the players to leave the training camp without imposing any type of limitation on them, as well as subsequently issuing the certificate of dismissal, is implicitly expressing its desire not to apply said prohibitive rule,” the ruling said. Osasuna disagree, saying there was no reference to not applying the restriction, either in the RFEF’s public statement or in communications to the clubs, and will file an appeal with the Appeal Committee. Both clubs had appeals for the fixture to be postponed rejected.