Osasuna Files Complaint Against Barcelona Over Alleged Rule Breach
Osasuna has officially submitted a complaint against FC Barcelona, claiming that the Catalan club fielded Iñigo MartÃnez in violation of FIFA regulations. The club argues that MartÃnez’s participation in the match contravenes Article 5 of Annex I of FIFA’s Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players. This rule states that any player who withdraws from international duty due to injury is prohibited from participating in club matches for five days following the conclusion of the international break unless formally cleared by the national federation.
Barcelona’s Victory and MartÃnez’s Controversial Inclusion
Despite being ruled out of Spain’s squad on March 17 due to a knee injury, MartÃnez played the full 90 minutes in Barcelona’s 3-0 win over Osasuna on March 27, just four days after Spain’s last international fixture against the Netherlands. Osasuna asserts that this breaches FIFA’s regulations and has lodged an official protest.
The match itself, which had been rescheduled following the passing of Barcelona’s team doctor Carles Miñarro GarcÃa, saw the home side secure a dominant victory. Ferran Torres opened the scoring in the 11th minute, assisted by Alejandro Balde. Dani Olmo extended Barcelona’s lead in the 21st minute by converting a penalty, while Robert Lewandowski sealed the result with a header in the 77th minute. The win extended Barcelona’s unbeaten run in all competitions to 19 games, reinforcing their status as the only undefeated team in Europe’s top five leagues in 2025.
RFEF’s Stance and Historical Precedents
The Real Federación Española de Fútbol (RFEF) maintains that MartÃnez was officially released from international duty after Barcelona provided a medical report. His replacement in the national squad was also confirmed and publicly announced on the same day, suggesting that the RFEF had no objections to his participation at the club level.
Similar cases in the past have yielded different outcomes. In 2004, Osasuna successfully appealed under comparable circumstances, while a similar complaint filed by Espanyol against Barcelona in 2006 was dismissed. The decision regarding Osasuna’s latest appeal now depends on the interpretation of FIFA regulations and the specifics surrounding MartÃnez’s release from international duty.
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