Osasuna appealed to the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) on Friday, arguing that defender Inigo Martinez missed Spain’s games due to injury and that Barcelona should not have used him in their La Liga encounter on a technicality.

Despite missing Spain’s Nations League matches because of a swollen right knee, Martinez played the entire ninety minutes of Barcelona’s 3-0 victory on Thursday, which put the league leaders three points ahead in La Liga.

“The club understands that the participation of Inigo Martinez in yesterday’s match violated article 5 of Annex I of the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players,” Osasuna said in a statement.

“(It) specifies that a player who does not join or leaves his national team for medical reasons may not play matches for his club during the five calendar days following the end of the international period.

“Osasuna believes that Inigo Martinez, whose absence from the Spanish national team was due to a medical leave, was not eligible to play in yesterday’s match in accordance with FIFA regulations.”

Osasuna finished in 14th place, six points above the safety zone, as a result.

Barcelona was originally scheduled to play Osasuna on March 8, but due to the death of the club doctor, the match was rescheduled to March 27, four days after Spain’s match, because no other date was available.

Both clubs’ requests to postpone the match were denied, and Barca was unable to field some of their players, including Raphinha, one of their top scorers, who had just returned from international duty.