Real Madrid manager Rafa Benitez shown as Denis Cheryshev walks off during their Copa del Rey match against Cadiz on Wednesday. Marcelo del Pozo / Reuters / December 2, 2015
Real Madrid manager Rafa Benitez shown as Denis Cheryshev walks off during their Copa del Rey match against Cadiz on Wednesday. Marcelo del Pozo / Reuters / December 2, 2015

‘We stand by our argument’: Real Madrid set for fight in Copa del Rey expulsion



Agence France-Presse

Real Madrid have been thrown out of the Spanish Cup after fielding an ineligible player in their tie against third-tier side Cadiz, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) confirmed on Friday.

In the first leg of their fourth-round tie on Wednesday Russian international Denis Cheryshev not only started the match but also opened the scoring in Madrid’s 3-1 win.

But he shouldn’t have been on the field as he was due to serve a one-match ban in the cup after picking up three yellow cards whilst on loan at Villarreal last season.

Read more: Diego Forlan writes he has no doubt Gary Neville will translate his style to Valencia

The federation’s competition committee judge ruled that “Cheryshev was ineligible to play ... so Madrid have forfeited the game and the tie is resolved in favour of Cadiz.”

Real Madrid, Europe’s richest club, were also slapped with a fine of €6,001 euros (Dh24,000). The club has 10 days to appeal.

In a statement, Real said the ban could not have taken effect as Cheryshev did not know he was suspended.

“The competition judge acknowledges that Cheryshev was not personally notified about his ban,” the club said.

“Real Madrid CF ... can verify the acknowledgement that the Spanish Football Federation did not personally notify Cheryshev about his ban, which is the only way the ban can take effect.

“We at Real Madrid CF stand by our argument and will take the appropriate action to ensure that the final outcome is favourable for the club.”

The statement came after Real president Florentino Perez insisted at a press conference on Thursday that the his club “is not at fault” and should not be disqualified from the competition.

He said Real did not receive a list from the federation drawn in July of all the players who were under the threat of a suspension for the season.

“Nobody told the club or the player, not the federation nor Villarreal, so it was impossible for us to act differently,” Perez said.

He also argued that according to the club’s interpretation of the competition’s by-laws, previous bookings are voided at the start of the round of 32.

The federation’s judge dismissed Perez’s arguments, saying in his ruling that it was “implausible” that the player did not know that he was sanctioned.

“There is no doubt that the sanction of suspension was notified personally to the player,” he said.

The head of the Spanish league, Javier Tebas, earlier on Friday said he felt the possible disqualification of Real Madrid over the affair “seemed a bit disproportionate”.

Earlier this season, Spanish football saw second-division Osasuna booted out of the cup in an almost identical case.

And in 2001, Real coach Rafa Benitez was in charge of Valencia when they were thrown out of the same competition for fielding four non-EU players when only three were permitted.

Real took Cheryshev, who is usually on the fringes of the first team, off right at the start of the second half when they apparently realised their error but Cadiz filed an official complaint.

Benitez said the club wanted to “show good faith”.

Cadiz issued a statement after the federation issued its decision, saying it “can do nothing more than regret all that has happened”.

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

The controversy comes during a roller-coaster season for Real.

They comfortably qualified for the Champions League last 16 but are third in La Liga on 27 points, six behind leaders Barcelona and two back from city rivals Atletico Madrid in second.

“It is a long road,” Benitez told a news conference earlier on Friday ahead of the club’s league match at home against Getafe on Saturday.

“We are doing better than what many people think and we have to prove that on the pitch in every game,” he added.

He declined to comment on the controversy over the use of Cheryshev, saying Perez had given a “sufficiently reasonable explanation”.

Real Madrid have won the Copa del Rey 19 times, with their last success in 2014.

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ESSENTIALS

The flights 

Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Mykonos, with a flight change to its partner airline Olympic Air in Athens. Return flights cost from Dh4,105 per person, including taxes. 

Where to stay 

The modern-art-filled Ambassador hotel (myconianambassador.gr) is 15 minutes outside Mykonos Town on a hillside 500 metres from the Platis Gialos Beach, with a bus into town every 30 minutes (a taxi costs €15 [Dh66]). The Nammos and Scorpios beach clubs are a 10- to 20-minute walk (or water-taxi ride) away. All 70 rooms have a large balcony, many with a Jacuzzi, and of the 15 suites, five have a plunge pool. There’s also a private eight-bedroom villa. Double rooms cost from €240 (Dh1,063) including breakfast, out of season, and from €595 (Dh2,636) in July/August.

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Everton 1 Stoke City 0
Everton (Rooney 45 1')
Man of the Match Phil Jagielka (Everton)

When Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi

  

 

 

 

Known as The Lady of Arabic Song, Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi on November 28, 1971, as part of celebrations for the fifth anniversary of the accession of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as Ruler of Abu Dhabi. A concert hall was constructed for the event on land that is now Al Nahyan Stadium, behind Al Wahda Mall. The audience were treated to many of Kulthum's most well-known songs as part of the sold-out show, including Aghadan Alqak and Enta Omri.

 
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The winners of each semi will then meet at Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday, with the losing semi-finalists contesting a third-place play-off in Guimaraes earlier that day.

Qualifying for the final stage was via League A of the inaugural Nations League, in which the top 12 European countries according to Uefa's co-efficient seeding system were divided into four groups, the teams playing each other twice between September and November. Portugal, who finished above Italy and Poland, successfully bid to host the finals.

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Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

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Schedule (All times UAE)
First practice: Friday, 5-6.30am
Second practice: Friday, 9-10.30am
Third practice: Saturday, 7-8am
Qualifying: Saturday, 10-11am
Race: Sunday, 9am-midday 

Race venue: Suzuka International Racing Course
Circuit Length: 5.807km
Number of Laps: 53
Watch live: beIN Sports HD

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Liverpool 4-1 Shrewsbury

Liverpool
Gordon (34'), Fabinho (44' pen, 90' 3), Firmino (78')

Shrewsbury
Udoh (27'minutes)

Man of the Match: Kaide Gordon (Liverpool)

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
In numbers

1,000 tonnes of waste collected daily:

  • 800 tonnes converted into alternative fuel
  • 150 tonnes to landfill
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800 tonnes of RDF replaces 500 tonnes of coal

Two conveyor lines treat more than 350,000 tonnes of waste per year

25 staff on site

 

The Greatest Royal Rumble card

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Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match

WWE World Heavyweight ChampionshipAJ Styles (champion) v Shinsuke Nakamura

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United States Championship Jeff Hardy (champion) v Jinder Mahal

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Singles match John Cena v Triple H

Cruiserweight Championship Cedric Alexander v Kalisto

Joker: Folie a Deux

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson

Director: Todd Phillips 

Rating: 2/5

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
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Install an air filter in your home.

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On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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Engine: 5-litre V8

Gearbox: eight-speed automatic

Power: 420hp

Torque: 505Nm

Fuel economy, combined: 12.4L/100km

Price: Dh260,500

Scoreline

Real Madrid 1
Ronaldo (53')

Atletico Madrid 1
Griezmann (57')

The specs

Price, base / as tested Dh12 million

Engine 8.0-litre quad-turbo, W16

Gearbox seven-speed dual clutch auto

Power 1479 @ 6,700rpm

Torque 1600Nm @ 2,000rpm 0-100kph: 2.6 seconds 0-200kph: 6.1 seconds

Top speed 420 kph (governed)

Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)

Thank You for Banking with Us

Director: Laila Abbas

Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum

Rating: 4/5

Tonight's Chat on The National

Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.

Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster who has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others.

Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.

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