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Real Madrid kicked out of Copa del Rey for playing suspended player
It looks like Real Madrid will be watching the rest of the Copa del Rey from home.
Denis Doyle/Getty Images
Real Madrid have been officially booted from the Copa del Rey -- Spain's top domestic cup -- for fielding an ineligible player against Cadiz. The decision was handed down by chief of the RFEF competition committee in Spain, Francisco Rubio, after reviewing the facts of the situation.
The problem arose when Madrid started Denis Cheryshev, a move that normally would have made perfect sense under the circumstances. A cup match against a third-division team was a good spot to play the rarely used winger -- except that he was suspended for the match after being booked three times in the Copa while he was on loan at Villarreal last season. Cheryshev scored Madrid's opening goal in the third minute, and they went on to win 3-1.
Real claimed that neither they nor Cheryshev had ever been informed of the suspension, so they could hardly be expected to know about it. They also claimed that his suspension should have been wiped out anyways, as yellow cards are reset after the third round of the Copa, and this match came in the fourth. Rubio reportedly rejected both of these claims, as Spain’s FA has documentation showing the notification. As for the card reset, that only applies to teams that actually played in those first three rounds -- the match against Cadiz was Madrid’s first in the competition.
Real Madrid can and almost certainly will appeal against the decision, and they are reportedly seeking out legal precedent in their favor.
Way to stay out of trouble of the week
Merida AD are the next team set to play Cadiz, and they decided to tie up their suspended player to make sure he doesn’t play and get them in trouble, too.
In the news
It turns out that Arsene Wenger is a huge fan of ... Bob Marley? Really? (Guardian)
David Beckham appears to finally be closing in on a site for a stadium for his proposed Miami MLS franchise. (Miami Herald)
Wayne Rooney will miss at least the next two matches for Manchester United -- including a vital Champions League match -- with an ankle injury. (BBC)
Somehow, 75 voters managed to cast 76 votes in a split 38-38 vote for the next president of the Argentina FA. (SI via Twitter)
Javier Mascherano will pay a fine worth over €800,000 and be given a suspended sentence of one year in jail to settle his tax evasion charges in Spain. (MARCA)
MLS commissioner Don Garber confirmed that Sacramento is high on the league’s priority list for expansion plans. (ESPN FC)
You should be reading
Dominic Fifield examines just how good Liverpool can be after their transformation under Jurgen Klopp. (Guardian)
Alexis Sanchez may take the headlines, but Aaron Ramsey is quietly the key to Arsenal’s success. (ESPN FC)
Frank Nuttall is one of the few English coaches finding success abroad. (These Football Times)
What happened in Thursday’s matches
Villarreal, Malaga and Real Sociedad all lost their first-leg matches of the fourth round of the Copa del Rey to lower-league teams. (RFEF official site)
Sassuolo fell to Cagliari, but Carpi were able to out-last second-division Vicenza to win in the Coppa Italia. (Lega Serie A official site)
What to watch on Friday (click for listings, all times ET)
Bundesliga: Schalke 04 vs. Hannover 96 (2:30 p.m.): A recent dive in league form has seen Schalke fall to eighth in the Bundesliga table, but they’re hoping that a win at home against struggling Hannover can get them back on track.
Ligue 1: OGC Nice vs. Paris Saint-Germain (2:30 p.m.): An upset win over the runaway league leaders would be a wonderful feather in the cap for Nice, who have surprised their way up to fifth place in Ligue 1. Let’s face it, though -- that’s probably not happening with the form PSG are in.
Serie A: Lazio vs. Juventus (2:45 p.m.): The four-time defending league champs are finally on a roll this season after a terrible start, and Juventus are hoping to take advantage of Lazio’s own struggles to potentially take fourth place in Serie A.
Women’s International: USA U-20 vs. Mexico U-20 (8:30 p.m.): The United States U-20 women’s team starts their CONCACAF U-20 Women’s Championship tournament run with a huge group stage match against Mexico. Support the next generation of Women’s World Cup winners and watch this match.
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