Barcelona responds to allegations that they could be deported from Copa del Rey

Barcelona has denied breaking the rules of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) against defender Chumi Brandariz in the first leg of Copa del Rey's last 16 days against Levante, a club source told Reuters on Thursday.

The Spanish newspaper El Mundo announced that Chumi, who started the 2-1 loss to Levante, was not eligible to play. The rules of the Federation stipulate that a suspended player can not play for the senior team until he has obtained his sanction.

Chumi, 19, received a fifth yellow card for Barca B 's third place in a match against Castellon on Jan. 6, which means he was suspended from the next match of the day. team against Alcoyano, January 13, three days after the Copa del Rey Game in Levante.

A source in Barcelona said Barca was relaxed about the story, saying the rules had changed and that they had not yet aligned an ineligible player.

A source at the Spanish federation said the organization was reviewing the issue and would provide additional information on Thursday.

Barca, who has won the last four editions of the Copa del Rey, will host Levante in the return leg at Nou camp on Thursday.

Real Madrid were excluded from the 2015-16 Copa del Rey for being delivered to Russian winger Denis Cheryshev in the last match against Cadiz, while he was supposed to serve a suspension. He had to serve a suspension from the previous season while he was playing for Villarreal.