Barcelona expelled from 2022/23 Copa de la Reina

Barcelona have been expelled from the Copa de la Reina at the quarter-final stage after it was ruled that they fielded an ineligible player in the recent last-16 win over Osasuna.

Sevilla have also been kicked out of the competition for the same reason. Both clubs were given 10 days to appeal the decision and it is believed that Barcelona have lodged one.

Barça thrashed Osasuna 9-0 in the previous round on 10 January. But Osasuna filed a complaint over the use of Brazilian forward Geyse in the match.

The basis for the complaint was that Geyse should was not permitted to play as a result of a suspension she picked up in last season’s competition with former club Madrid CFF.

Depending on the outcome of the appeal, although it may be tough to get the ruling overturned given the circumstances, Barcelona have likely lost their chance of matching the treble they famously achieved in 2020/21 with league, cup and Champions League triumphs.

The Catalans have won the Copa de la Reina in each of the last three seasons as part of a domestic double and would have been highly confident of winning a fourth in a row.

Unless they are reinstated, Barça face just a double-fronted charge in the second half of the season as they chase Liga F and Champions League titles.

Jonatan Giraldez’s team are seven points clear of second place Levante in Liga F, also with a game in hand, after winning all 14 matches played so far this season. In the Champions League, meanwhile, they are due to face one of Paris Saint-Germain, Roma or Lyon in the quarter-finals and will discover their exact opponent when the draw is made on 10 February.

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