Osasuna president Luis Sabalza announced that his club has no intention of filing a complaint against Real Madrid over Franco Mastrantuono’s participation in Tuesday’s match.
The club signed Mastrantuono from River Plate for over €50 million, but instead placed him in the reserve team and gave him the number 30 shirt.
After the Argentine’s substitution against Osasuna for the final half-hour, there were calls for the Santiago Bernabéu guests to file a complaint against the player, claiming his participation was “fraudulent” and illegal because he was registered with the reserve team and not the first team.
Sabalza appeared after the match as he was leaving the Bernabéu and was asked about Osasuna’s intention to file a complaint. He responded categorically, “We will not file a complaint about this matter. We all do that as clubs.”
La Liga clubs have traditionally restricted their under-21 players to the reserve teams due to the severe restrictions imposed by Financial Fair Play regulations in Spain, which leave little room for new signings.
In Real Madrid’s case, financial pressures were not the only reason for registering Mastantuono in the reserve team, but also to clear the way for any potential signings in the final days of the summer transfer window.
