RFEF Dismisses Burgos Complaint Against Valencia Over Player Eligibility

On Saturday, the Sole Competition Judge of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) dismissed the complaint filed by Burgos against Valencia concerning the alleged improper alignment of forward Umar Sadiq in the Copa del Rey quarter-final match held on January 15 at El Plantío. The ruling included a reprimand to the Burgos club, stating, “Assuming an improper alignment based on a regulatory interpretation that finds no support in the applicable federation regulations concerning a player without any impediment to play and in possession of a license, constitutes a way of understanding the rules and the desired and fair rivalry that cannot be shared, as it is fundamentally contrary to an essential principle of Sports Law: that matches are won or lost on the field, not in offices.”

On January 16, Burgos claimed that the Nigerian forward was disqualified from competing with Valencia because he had previously participated in the same edition of the Copa del Rey with Real Sociedad in the first and second rounds. The club argued that this violated the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (Article 5.5) and provisions from the now-repealed General Regulations of the RFEF regarding player eligibility.

Following the transfer of the complaint to Valencia and the request from the historical federation regarding the player to the RFEF Licensing Department, the disciplinary body concluded that Sadiq held a valid license with Valencia since January 9, 2026, having transferred from Real Sociedad. The Sole Judge determined that the player met the general registration requirement set forth in Article 143 of the Competition Regulations, with Burgos failing to identify any other eligibility requirement that had been breached.

The ruling also noted that current regulations allow a player to participate in official competitions with two different clubs during the same season, highlighting that Article 5.5 of the FIFA Regulations does not prohibit this, but rather sets a maximum limit of two. Additionally, the disciplinary body emphasized that during the 2025/26 season, a transitional regime established by the RFEF permits the registration and alignment of players with up to three clubs.

In conclusion, the Sole Judge determined that there was no regulatory basis for the alleged infraction and considered the complaint unfounded. Therefore, the entire complaint was dismissed, and the case was archived.