Levante of Spain winger, Moses Simon will not have the privilege of playing in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals, after his club’s protest against Barcelona was thrown out by the soccer authorities, on the grounds it was lodged too late.
Footballlive.ng gathered that Moses and his teammates had been expectant of a cruise into the next round, despite losing their second leg away to Barcelona on Thursday, but Levante’s protest failed to pave way for their progress.
While Simon and his teammates are now sulking, Barca will play in the Copa last eight after Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) rejected Levante’s claims that The Catalans used an ineligible player.
Levante’s appeal against their Copa del Rey elimination, despite famously winning the first leg 2-1, fell flat, after RFEF ruled that Barcelona did not use an ineligible player in that fixture the previous week.
Consequently, Simon’s side stay out, while Barcelona have been drawn against Sevilla in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals, while Real Madrid will take on Girona.
In a rematch of the 2018 final, holders Barca will visit the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium on either January 22, 23 or 24 before the return encounter takes place at Camp Nou the following week.
The Blaugrana have lifted the trophy in each of the past four seasons but their place in this year’s competition was cast into jeopardy when Levante alleged Ernesto Valverde had fielded an ineligible player – teenage defender Chumi – in the first leg of the clubs’ round-of-16 encounter.
