Granada eased into the next round of the Copa del Rey on Thursday after a comfortable 3-0 victory over Arosa. However, there is a possibility that the Andalusians are thrown out of the competition.
This is because MD have reported that Arosa are going to make a complaint over the matter, as they say that Adri Lopez, who started in goals for Granada, was ineligible to play in the match.
Copa del Rey state that reserve players over the age of 23 are unable to play in the competition, and Lopez is 24, which could well mean that Granada are ejected from the competition, with Arosa advancing in their place.
However, Granada’s legal team are said to be looking into a rule that would mean that Lopez was allowed to play. Specifically, article 250 talks about goalkeepers up to the age of 25 being exempted from the aforementioned rule.
“In the case of footballers with the status of goalkeeper, and only in professional competitions, they may be lined up in the sponsor’s first team as long as they are under 25 years of age, regardless of whether their licence is professional or non-professional.”
However, it should be noted that the Copa del Rey is not considered a professional tournament, as per its own rules, so Granada could well be facing being thrown out. For now, the matter remains open.
