Granada CF was eliminated from the Copa del Rey after a disciplinary ruling related to an improper lineup in the first round match against Arosa. The decision came from the sole disciplinary judge for RFEF’s non-professional competitions and was published by the Federation.
During the cup clash, Adrian Lopez wore the gloves as goalkeeper. Lopez is 24 years old and is on the books of Recreativo Granada, the club’s reserve team. This arrangement met with no issues in La Liga, but it violated the Copa del Rey rules, which govern eligibility for players in this competition.
| The Disciplinary Judge’s decision concerns the First Qualification match King’s Cup between Arosa SC and Granada CF.
ℹ️ Full text: https://t.co/LVUJzfB8TE pic.twitter.com/7HItI6vzd0
— RFEF (@rfef) 7 November 2023
Granada beat Arosa 0-3
The Arosa side, known as the Yellow-Red players in their home colors, protested the result after the incident, and the match official who reviewed the complaint sided with that viewpoint, as anticipated by observers.
Granada defended its stance by arguing that the Copa should be treated as a professional competition. The disciplinary ruling, however, refuted this interpretation, citing the RFEF regulations and noting the competition’s historical structure and qualification framework, which do not align with professional status for all participating teams.
In fact, the Copa del Rey has long been seen as a tournament that mixes professional and non-professional clubs, with non-traditional teams entering through various qualifying routes. This understanding was reinforced by the lack of professional designation for the competition in several previous seasons, and by the nature of some participating clubs that do not operate at full professional levels.
The single disciplinary judge’s ruling remains final in the current case, and Granada’s right to appeal must be exercised within ten days. However, past precedents and the framework of the RFEF indicate limited prospects for overturning the decision, effectively concluding Granada’s campaign in this edition of the Copa del Rey.