Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said he is focused on winning games despite the threat of a potential punishment for an ineligible lineup rumbling on in the background.
Flick selected Inigo Martinez in the 3-0 win over Osasuna in LaLiga on Thursday, after the Spanish defender had withdrawn injured from the national team squad for their recent Nations League matches.
Osasuna appealed to the Spanish football federation on Friday over Martinez being ineligible, citing FIFA rules regarding players who have not joined up with their national teams when called on.
“We won three points and this is my focus, so I’m focusing on the next match against Girona,” Flick told a news conference on Saturday, a day before leaders Barcelona host Girona in LaLiga.
“The other thing is not in my hands, it’s not about me.”
FIFA rules state that players cannot appear for their clubs within five days of the last national team match, if they did not join the squad when called upon, without the federation’s permission.
Martinez played 90 minutes against Osasuna after pulling out of international duty with knee discomfort, as Barcelona took a three-point lead at the top of the table.
The match was played on Thursday after being initially postponed from March 8, when a Barca club doctor died, with neither side wanting to play it this week but both having appeals against it rejected.
