Real Madrid fail to overturn Copa Del Rey expulsion

Real Madrid have lost their appeal against expulsion from this season's Copa Del Rey for fielding an ineligible player.

Real were punished after they included Denis Cheryshev in their starting XI for the first leg of the tie against Cadiz last week when he should have been serving a one-match ban.

The Russia international opened the scoring in a 3-1 win over the third-tier outfit, before he was substituted when the mistake was communicated to Real.

Real president Florentino Perez said there had been no rules violation, as neither the club nor Cheryshev, who picked up the ban while on loan at Villarreal last season, were aware of the suspension.

But the Spanish soccer federation (RFEF) were critical of Real in an initial nine-page ruling, disqualifying them from the event and saying they should have been aware of the ban.

The federation's appeals committee have now rejected Real's bid to overturn the decision, but the club are planning to lodge a new appeal with the Spanish government's Disciplinary Committee for Sports (TAD), which typically meets every Friday.

The second-leg of the tie had been scheduled for next Wednesday at the Bernabeu.

Former Real great Figo was asked about the ban at an event on Thursday and said he was surprised Cheryshev had not been aware of it.

"If I was ever banned I knew about it and I knew that I could not play," said Figo.

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