Real Madrid disqualified from Copa Del Rey after Denis Cheryshev error

Real Madrid has been disqualified from the Copa Del Rey after they fielded the ineligible Russian winger Denis Cheryshev against Cadiz, who should have been suspended after yellow cards received in this competition last year.

The 24-year-old attacker has been on the fringes at the Santiago Bernabeu this season, but was handed a rare start by Rafa Benitez and scored in his side’s 3-1 win over the third-tier opponent.

However, it emerged during the fixture that the Russian was ineligible for the round of 32 tie after picking up three yellow cards in the competition while on loan at Villarreal last season.

Spanish football’s governing body, the RFEF, confirmed after the game that Cheryshev was ineligible to play and that the capital city side had been disqualified from the tournament as a result.

“Cheryshev was ineligible to play ... so Madrid have forfeited the game and the tie is resolved in favour of Cadiz,” an 11-page RFEF report reads. 

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Madrid have responded by maintaining their innocence and confirmed that they would be appealing the sanction.

Club president Florentino Perez stated he will contest the decision with the RFEF Appeals Committee and also take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport if necessary.

Los Blancos released a statement on their website stating that Cheryshev had not been made personally aware of his suspension, which will be the grounds of the Madrid appeal.

Perez has also taken aim at Villarreal, claiming that the El Madrigal outfit had not communicated the Russian player’s unavailability to him. This was quickly rebuffed by Villarreal president Fernando Roig.

For their part, Cadiz have expressed regret in their role in Madrid’s elimination, after taking the case to the RFEF with an official appeal.

"Cadiz can do nothing more than regret all that has happened," an official statement reads. 

"At no time did the club want to be the protagonist in the Copa del Rey qualifying - beyond the celebration that it represented for our city to host one of the most important football clubs in the world.”

The farce has been enjoyed by Madrid’s eternal rivals Barcelona, who beat CF Villanovense 6-1 in the competition in midweek.

Dani Alves has gone on the record to say that Madrid were justifiably disqualified, while Gerard Pique will not have increased his popularity in the Spanish capital by taking to Twitter to rub salt in the wounds.