Barcelona face elimination from Copa de la Reina for fielding ineligle player

FC Barcelona Women could be thrown out of the Copa de la Reina for fielding an ineligible player in their round of 16 victory against Osasuna.

Barça demolished Osasuna 9-0 on Tuesday evening to book their place in the quarter-finals and continue their bid for a fourth consecutive Copa de la Reina.

However, it is the inclusion of Geyse -who scored the fourth goal in the commanding win- that is the source of contention.

The Brazilian forward Ferreira Geyse was sent off in the quarterfinals of last season’s competition while playing for former club Madrid CFF.

The 24-year-old was supposed to serve a one-game ban in the first match of this season’s competition, which for holders Barcelona was against Osasuna in the round of 16 on Tuesday.

Osasuna have lodged an official complaint, appealing for the game to be awarded to them as a walkover. In the official statement, the club confirmed they would be appealing the result due to Geyse being fielded, labelling it an ‘evident infraction of the regulations’.

Meanwhile, Jonathan Giraldez, the head coach of Barcelona said the suspension did not appear on the website of the Royal Spanish Federation [RFEF], which oversees the Copa de la Reina.

The Catalan Giants have dominated the women’s game in Spain having won five of the last six Copa de la Reina titles and are vying to secure a domestic double for a fourth successive season.

The nine-time winners are on a 48-game winning streak in the league, dating back to June 1, 2021, when they lost to Atletico which was their last loss in any domestic game.