CA Osasuna challenges the match against FC Barcelona: Does this appeal have a chance of succeeding?

What was an open secret has finally been confirmed. The CA Osasuna, through an official statement released on its various informational channels, has announced that it has filed an appeal with the Competition Committee of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) for alleged improper alignment of FC Barcelona in the recent match they faced, where the culés took the victory with a resounding 3-0.

The main argument of this claim focuses on the inclusion of Iñigo Martínez in the match against CA Osasuna. The 'rojillos' argue that the inclusion of the Basque player "has violated the Article 5 of Annex I of the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players". This provision states that a player who does not join the call-up of their national team for medical reasons, or who leaves it, cannot play matches with their club during the five calendar days following the end of the international period.

"A player called up by their association for one of their representative teams does not have the right, unless their association agrees otherwise, to play for the club to which they belong during the period that lasts or should last their release, according to the provisions of this annex, plus an additional period of five days"

From CA Osasuna, they argue that, according to this regulation, Iñigo Martínez, whose absence from the national team was announced on March 17 due to an internal meniscus injury in his right knee that prevented him from joining the call-up of the Spanish national team, was not authorized to participate in the match between both teams as the deadlines established by the regulations were not met.

The other arguments of CA Osasuna to challenge the match against FC Barcelona

Furthermore, CA Osasuna acknowledges that this situation cannot be considered an exception, unlike the cases of Gerard Martín, Pablo Torre, and Fermín López, who were released from the under-21 national team by mutual agreement. In the club's words: "Since a medical absence is the justification for the withdrawal, as communicated by the RFEF itself, Club Atlético Osasuna understands that this case cannot be considered under any exceptional situation that makes the FIFA Regulations inapplicable. The Navarre entity does consider the release of their second commitment with the Spanish under-21 national team of players Gerard Martín, Pablo Torre, and Fermín López as a different matter, since their withdrawal was not justified by a medical cause".

Consequently, CA Osasuna, based on the fact that Iñigo Martínez's absence was for medical reasons, has decided to file an appeal: "Club Atlético Osasuna understands that Iñigo Martínez, whose non-appearance with the Spanish national team was due to a medical absence, was not eligible to play in yesterday's match, according to the FIFA Regulations. Given this fact, the Navarre entity has decided to file an appeal for improper alignment in defense of its rights, the integrity of the competition, and the equality of all its participants". 

This appeal does not have much chance of succeeding

The resolution of this matter remains to be seen, although at first glance it seems unlikely to succeed, given that Iñigo Martínez was withdrawn from the Spanish national team on March 17, when the national team announced his absence and replaced him with Dean Huijsen. In fact, the Basque player did not even join the group in the Ciudad del Fútbol Las Rozas for medical tests, something that could have been required by the RFEF. Since he was released on that date, more than the five days established by the law have passed.

Even if Iñigo Martínez had been considered for the call-up for the first match of the international break, he would not have incurred a similar violation. The match against the Netherlands (first leg of the quarter-finals of the UEFA Nations League 2024-25) took place on March 20, and the match against Osasuna was played on the 27th, which means that seven days have passed. In summary, it seems there is not much more to add in this regard.