Osasuna has officially filed an appeal with the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) concerning the eligibility of Barcelona defender Inigo Martinez, who played in their recent LaLiga match despite being unavailable for his national team due to injury.

During the match on March 27, which ended in a 3-0 victory for Barcelona, Martinez participated fully even after withdrawing from the Spain squad for Nations League games due to a swollen right knee. Osasuna contends that this participation breaches FIFA regulations, which state a player who misses international duty for medical reasons cannot play for their club within five days of the international period's conclusion unless the national association has given permission. This technicality has raised serious concerns about compliance with FIFA regulations, as noted in Osasuna's statement.

In their appeal, Osasuna emphasized that Martinez's absence from the Spanish national team, caused by medical leave, made him ineligible for the match, thus challenging the fairness of the competition. The outcome of the match, which placed Barcelona three points clear atop the LaLiga standings, is now under scrutiny, particularly as the timing of the game was controversial, scheduled just four days after Spain's last match. According to Channel News Asia, both clubs had previously sought to postpone the fixture following the death of Barcelona's club doctor but were denied. Due to this situation, Barcelona was already fielding a reduced squad, missing key players such as Raphinha.

This appeal underscores ongoing tensions in Spanish football regarding player eligibility and the adherence to international rules, as clubs navigate the complex schedules of domestic and international play. For further details, visit Al Jazeera.