Levante appeal over alleged ineligible Barcelona player rejected

Barcelona will play in the Copa del Rey's last eight after the RFEF rejected Levante's claims the Catalans used an ineligible player.

Barcelona youngster Chumi, between Jeison Murillo and Sergio Busquets, was alleged to have been ineligible.

Levante's appeal against Copa del Rey elimination after alleging Barcelona used an ineligible player has been rejected by the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).

The Valencia-based club beat Barca 2-1 at home in the first part of the two-legged clash, as Ernesto Valverde shuffled his pack, giving games to fringe players and youngsters.

Among the unfamiliar names in the starting XI was defender Chumi, who Levante believed to have been suspended for the match after accumulating five yellow cards for Barca's 'B' team in the third tier.

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Barca was convinced Chumi was eligible, with Valverde suggesting the defender's suspension was active for Sunday's win over Eibar, while the club understood a rule change in November meant a reserve player can feature for the first team in another competition as long as the suspension is less than a two-match ban.

However, the RFEF has ultimately rejected Levante's appeal due to its complaint being lodged too late.