Thursday that the club was completely unaware
that they were fielding an ineligible player in
Wednesday's first leg of their fourth-round Copa
del Rey tie at Cadiz.
Madrid named winger Denis Cheryshev in their
starting XI for the 3-1 win at the Segunda B club.
Cadiz on Thursday filed a formal complaint
alleging that he should have been suspended for
the game having been booked three times in the
competition on loan at Villarreal last season.
Perez first said that the sanction was "not
applicable" because Cheryshev had "not been
personally notified" that he was suspended.
"We did not have any knowledge nor did the
player of his own suspension. No one knew,"
Perez said during a news conference. "After an
analysis with the board of directors, we have
decided that the suspension for three yellow
cards was not effective because no one
communicated it to the player as per Article 41."
"Real Madrid was not aware of the existence of
any sanction, no one communicated that to us.
The CAS [Court for Arbitration of Sport] has
dictated that a player receive a personal
notification. If we admit that the suspension was
efficent, it would have to have been annulled
according to Article 112, which states that the
suspension is not effective because it was not
communicated to the player so there was no
fielding of an ineligible player."
Perez said there are no precedents in the
situation because there was never any initial
notification.
"It makes no sense to say that the player was
notified if it was not so," Perez said. "Madrid has
not been able to anything more than analyse the
nature of this reality and we believe the
suspension was not done effectively.
"We will in the very least go to the CAS because
there is jurisdiction. If someone did not do their
job, we would ask for forgiveness. But if the player
has not told us, nor the federation, nor Villarreal,
it is impossible for us to be aware. We did not
receive any information on July 27. The federation
knows this.
"No one was negligent at Real Madrid. That is our
conclusion after speaking with our legal team."
The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) confirmed
receipt of Cadiz's appeal and will allow a period of
time for Real Madrid to present their defence.
Spanish media report that a decision is likely due
on Friday.
This was the second time in two weeks Perez has
spoken to the media in response to a club crisis.
With Benitez facing heavy criticism following a 4-0
loss to Barcelona, Perez publicly defended his
first-year coach.
"Nobody told the club or the player, not the
federation nor Villarreal, so it was impossible for
us to act differently," Perez said. "It's not our
fault."
Cheryshev, who rose through Madrid's youth
ranks after joining the club in 2002, played on
loan for Villarreal last season and picked up a one-
match ban after collecting three yellow cards in
the Copa.
Having since returned to Madrid, the suspension
should have been served on Wednesday. Instead,
Cheryshev took the field and went on to score
Madrid's opening goal.
RFEF rules specify that if a club field an ineligible
player, they face disqualification from the
competition -- provided the opposing club lodges
an objection.
Osasuna were removed from this season's Copa
del Rey in September after fielding Unai Garcia --
who had been sent off against Alaves last season
-- in a 2-1 win over Mirandes.
Cheryshev scored the opening goal of the game
after three minutes against the third-tier
Andalusian side, but news soon spread around
the Ramon de Carranza that led to Cadiz fans
chanting the Russian winger's name.
He was withdrawn by boss Rafa Benitez early in
the second half, being replaced by Mateo Kovacic,
after the club were made aware of the error. It is
reported that Madrid wrongly thought there was
an amnesty at the end of last season which
scrubbed Cheryshev's ban.
For his part, Benitez insisted he and the club were
unaware of Cheryshev's situation, and weren't
informed until after half-time.
Madrid play their first game at the Santiago
Bernabeu since then against Getafe on Saturday.
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