Barcelona defeated Levante in the second leg of the Round of 16 in Copa del Rey, but they face being thrown out of the competition for fielding an ineligible player in the first leg.
Levante’s president Francisco Javier Catalan confirmed the club will complain against the Catalan giants.
Young defender Chumi started last week’s 2-1 loss to Levante despite being due to serve a suspension after picking up five bookings while playing for Barcelona B in the Segunda Division B.
Speaking prior to kick-off on Thursday’s reverse fixture, Levante President Quico Catalan stated his club’s intention to lodge a complaint to the Royal Spanish Football Federation, reportedly over Chumi’s involvement in the first encounter.
Levante insisted that the young Barca defender ‘Chumi’ played illegally as he should have been serving a suspension. “Whatever happens on the field of play today, Levante are going to take this situation to the Federation tomorrow,” Javier Catalan said, shortly before the second leg at the Camp Nou on Thursday, adding that; “We feel that there is a solid enough precedent to back up the club’s decision to do so.”
Chumi was given a ban after receiving a yellow card while playing for Barcelona’s B team in the Segunda B division. Barcelona maintained a change in the rules, made in November, means the suspension does not carry over into the Copa del Rey.
A source at Barcelona had told AFP Sport earlier on Thursday: “There has been no improper conduct, nor a complaint from either Levante or the RFEF.”
Real Madrid were disqualified from the Copa del Rey in 2015 for fielding Denis Cheryshev, despite the player being suspended.
Cheryshev had received three yellow cards while playing for Villarreal in the competition in the previous season
However, Barcelona’s Manager Ernesto Valverde says there are no worries about Levante’s appeal.
He said though the complaint has been raised that the club fielded an ineligible player, Valverde insisted he was right to pick Chumi
The Barcelona boss said he is unworried over Levante’s official complaint regarding their selection of Chumi in the first leg of their Copa del Rey clash.
He is confident Barcelona will not be kicked out of the competition. Valverde told reporters in his post-match news that; “We have no doubt about Chumi.”
Barca won the reverse fixture at Camp Nou 3-0 on Thursday – Ousmane Dembele scoring twice and Lionel Messi adding the third for the team to advance to the quarter-finals, courtesy of a 4-2 aggregate success
The draw for the last eight due to take place on today, Friday
