Osasuna considering appeal against Barcelona over alleged FIFA rule breach

Osasuna are reportedly considering filing an appeal against Barcelona for allegedly breaching FIFA regulations regarding a player’s return to club duty after international breaks.

Inigo Martinez has been in strong form this season under Barcelona manager Hansi Flick and was recalled to the Spanish national team for this month’s international fixtures.

However, the centre-back was forced to withdraw from the squad due to a knee injury, with Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen replacing him.

Despite his withdrawal from international duty, Martinez was able to start for Barcelona in their 3-0 victory over Osasuna in a rescheduled match on Thursday.

Inigo Martinez was forced to withdraw from the Spain squad due to a knee injury

This has raised concerns, with Spanish publication Diario Sport reporting that Osasuna may challenge Barcelona’s decision, claiming that the player should not have been eligible to feature in the match.

Under FIFA’s rules, players who pull out of international duty due to injury or other reasons cannot play for their clubs until at least five days after the international break, unless the participation is officially cleared by the relevant national federation – in this case, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).

Osasuna believe that Barcelona may have violated these regulations, and they are now weighing their options for an appeal.

Barcelona secured a crucial win in their rescheduled La Liga fixture against Osasuna, moving three points clear at the top of the table.

The Catalan giants now sit ahead of Real Madrid by three points and maintain a seven-point advantage over Atletico Madrid.