Barcelona Face Potential La Liga Points Deduction Over 'Ineligible' Player Controversy

• Spanish La Liga leaders Barcelona secured a dominant 3-0 victory on Thursday to remain at the top of La Liga
• However, defender Iñigo Martínez’s participation in the match has sparked controversy, as he may have been ineligible under FIFA rules
• If found guilty of a violation, Barcelona could face a points deduction, dealing a major blow to their title hopes

Barcelona’s recent 3-0 win over Osasuna has come under scrutiny, as the Catalan giants are being investigated for potentially fielding an ineligible player.

The La Liga fixture, originally postponed due to the tragic passing of Barcelona’s team doctor, was rescheduled for March 27.

Goals from Ferran Torres, Dani Olmo, and Robert Lewandowski secured a comfortable victory for Hansi Flick’s men, keeping them three points ahead of Real Madrid at the top of the table.

However, Osasuna are now considering whether to challenge the result, citing a possible rule violation involving Barcelona defender Iñigo Martínez.

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Was Iñigo Martínez ineligible to play?

The controversy centers around Martínez, who was included in Barcelona’s starting XI just days after withdrawing from international duty with Spain due to injury.

The defender pulled out of Spain’s UEFA Nations League quarter-final matches against the Netherlands but returned to action for Barcelona just four days after Spain’s last game.

According to Spanish journalist Isaac Fouto, this may have breached FIFA’s regulations.

Article 5 of FIFA’s rules states that if a player withdraws from their national team due to injury, they are not allowed to play for their club for at least five days after their country's last match. Since Spain played their second-leg clash against the Netherlands on Sunday, Martínez's appearance on Thursday falls short of this mandatory five-day period, potentially making him ineligible.

Could Barcelona avoid punishment?

Despite this apparent violation, there is an exception that could save Barcelona from any sanctions. If Spain’s football federation (RFEF) gave official approval for Martínez to play, then the club would not be at fault.

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Reports suggest that Osasuna are investigating whether the Spanish federation released Martínez with a medical clearance, which would mean Barcelona acted within the rules.

Fouto elaborated on this, stating:

"This is what Osasuna is studying: if the Federation officially released Iñigo Martínez due to a medical report, then he would be eligible to play. There is a public statement from Spain’s head coach Luis de la Fuente confirming a medical report existed, which could clear Barcelona of wrongdoing."

What happens if Barcelona are found guilty?

If La Liga or FIFA determine that Barcelona violated the eligibility rule, they could face serious consequences.

The most likely outcome would be the match result being overturned, meaning the three points they gained from the Osasuna win would be deducted.

This would be a major blow to their title hopes, potentially handing an advantage to arch-rivals Real Madrid.

However, Barcelona remain confident that they acted correctly. The club reportedly received confirmation from Spain’s federation that Martínez was permitted to play, which could protect them from any disciplinary action.

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Madrid also facing their own investigation

While Barcelona anxiously await the outcome of this case, Real Madrid are dealing with their own controversy.

Reports suggest that Los Blancos could be without star forwards Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior for their Champions League quarter-final clash against Arsenal due to an unrelated investigation.

Meanwhile, Spain, having defeated the Netherlands on penalties after a dramatic 5-5 aggregate draw, have advanced to the UEFA Nations League semi-finals.

They will face France in June, with the winner set to meet either Germany or Portugal in the final.

Source: YEN.com.gh