‘Madrid didn’t field an ineligible player’

Real Madrid President Florentino Perez insists Denis Cheryshev wasn’t ineligible for the Copa del Dey and therefore, the club shouldn’t be punished.

Cheryshev played and scored against Segunda B Cadiz but should have been suspended after picking up three yellow cards while playing for Villarreal in last season’s tournament, Madrid arguing neither he nor the club were told and therefore, any ban wasn’t legal.

“Real Madrid didn’t know of the existence of the ban. No one told us. If we admit the ban was in effect, it would be annulled by paragraph two of Article 112 [of the RFEF Disciplinary Code],” Perez said at a Press conference.

“The penalty is not in effect because the ban wasn’t communicated to the player, therefore Madrid didn’t field an ineligible player.

“We have no record of a ban. We didn’t get any notification. It makes no sense to say the player was notified when he says he wasn’t. Madrid have analysed the situation and don’t believe the sanction is in effect.

“We will appeal any punishment. We didn’t receive any [list of banned players] on July 27. The RFEF knows that. And Rafa Benitez yesterday asked for everything to be checked.

“No one at Real Madrid has acted negligently. That’s our conclusion after talking to our legal service.

“Cadiz? They have acted according to what is in their interest. We will defend our rights and appeal if necessary.

“Benitez is, like all Madrid fans, sad because this is a situation that has never happened before. If the player, who has to know, doesn’t know, then he couldn’t tell anyone.”

It was put to Perez that Athletic Bilbao know Raul Garcia is banned and left him out of their squad to play RB Linense, despite Garcia having been on Atletico Madrid’s books last season.

“I guess the player was notified by Atletico. That’s normal,” he replied, before a tweet from Gerard Pique, clearly enjoying Madrid’s misfortune, was raised.

“I don’t want to comment on things like that,” Perez said.

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