Update: Levante case rejected, Barcelona avoid disqualification.

According to Spanish daily El Mundo, Barcelona played with an ineligible player against Levante in their first leg Copa del Rey match against Levante last week (Barcelona lost 2-1). The return fixture is this evening, Thursday.

Chumi ineligible to play for Barcelona against Levante

Defender Juan Brandáriz, better known as Chumi, was in Valverde’s starting XI for Barça, however he was at that point suspended from playing due to his disciplinary record with Barcelona B.

According to the disciplinary code in Spain, players cannot play for their first team if they are suspended with a lower team until the punishment has finished.

The situation is somewhat similar to the embarrassing situation faced by Real Madrid three seasons ago when they played Denis Cheryshev in the Copa del Rey, who was ineligible to play due to his disciplinary record at his former club Villarreal, with suspensions carrying over when a player moves clubs. In that case, Real Madrid were disqualified from the competition.