Barcelona calm about Osasuna’s potential ‘ineligible lineup’ complaint over defender’s participation | OneFootball

Barcelona returned to action after the international break on Thursday night, securing a 3-0 victory over CA Osasuna in La Liga at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys.

Goals from Ferran Torres, Dani Olmo, and Robert Lewandowski ensured a straightforward victory for the Blaugrana, which sees them open up a lead over arch-rivals Real Madrid at the top of the table.

However, as reported after the game, Osasuna are considering contesting the 3-0 defeat against Barcelona with an ‘ineligible lineup’ complaint due to Inigo Martinez’s participation.

The Pamplona-based outfit believe that potential there may have been a violation of FIFA regulations regarding the timeframe that must elapse between a player’s withdrawal from international duty and their next club appearance.

Barcelona calm and confident

However, according to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona maintain that there is no case of ‘ineligible lineup’ regarding Martinez.

Osasuna are mulling over a potential complaint. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

That is because both the Spanish national team manager and the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) agreed that the player should not be called up for international duty due to medical reasons.

Barça are confident that all protocols were followed correctly. They state that the RFEF officially released Martinez after receiving a medical report.

On 17 March, the day after the La Liga match against Atletico Madrid, Barcelona issued a statement confirming that Martinez was suffering from internal parameniscitis in his right knee.

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente also accepted the medical report submitted by the club. As a result, the Blaugrana see no grounds for Osasuna to file a complaint.

Furthermore, sources from Osasuna confirmed that they have until today to lodge a formal complaint. However, they acknowledge that they do not expect it to gain much ground.