Challenge of CA Osasuna: Why Barça Shouldn't Worry?

The controversy is served, as it was recently revealed that CA Osasuna challenged the match against FC Barcelona. What is the reason? The inclusion of Iñigo Martínez in the starting eleven of the culés, a matter that, according to the 'rojillos', violates Article 5 of Annex I of the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players. This provision stipulates that a player who does not join their national team call-up 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.

It is worth remembering that Iñigo Martínez was on the call-up list for Spain for the March break, where the 'Roja' played a quarter-final match of the UEFA Nations League 2024-25 against the Netherlands. The series ended with an aggregate score of 5-5 (2-2 in the first leg and 3-3 in the second leg), resolved in a penalty shootout (5-4) in favor of the Iberians; however, the defender could not even join Luis de la Fuente's squad due to an injury (internal meniscus injury of the right knee) that caused his withdrawal on March 17, being replaced by Dean Huijsen from AFC Bournemouth.

This situation should not pose a major inconvenience for FC Barcelona, especially considering that the player was expressly released on March 17. However, it is important to take into account some precedents that favor the culé team and suggest that this challenge from CA Osasuna should not go too far.

The precedents that invite optimism for Barça

Indeed, the Pamplona team knows firsthand what it means to be in the position that FC Barcelona finds itself in such a situation. In 2004, in the match against RCD Mallorca (1-1) corresponding to matchday 25 of LaLiga 03-04, they lined up the Australian forward John Aloisi, who did not join the 'socceroos' call-up for the match against Venezuela (1-1) on February 18 due to an injury. Despite this, Aloisi played the match with the 'rojillos' on February 22, which generated great controversy, as the five-day period from his withdrawal to his participation in the match against the Mallorcans had not been fulfilled.

However, the Appeals Committee ruled in favor of CA Osasuna, arguing that the official withdrawal of the player nullified any effect that the initial call-up might have had. Therefore, the situation was resolved in favor of the Navarre club.

Barcelona has already had a favorable decision of this kind in the past

Additionally, there is a second, more relevant precedent for FC Barcelona, which directly involves the club. In 2006, RCD Espanyol filed a formal protest for considering an improper alignment of Xavi Hernández and Carles Puyol in the Supercopa de España (0-1), held on August 17.

Both players had been ruled out due to injury from Luis Aragonés' call-up for the friendly between Spain and Iceland on August 15. Just like in the case of John Aloisi, the Competition Committee dismissed the request from RCD Espanyol based on these arguments.