MADRID, Oct 4 - Argentine teenage prodigy Lionel
Messi could again find himself barred from appearing for
Barcelona due to arguments over the validity of his playing
licence.
A lawyer acting for Deportivo Coruna told the Spanish
Football Federation (RFEF) on Tuesday that Messi should not be
allowed to play because he was granted Spanish citizenship after
the August 31 deadline for registration of players.
Lawyer German Rodriguez Conchado argued the 18-year-old
should not be allowed to appear for Barcelona until the new
registration period opens on January 1, 2006.
A spokesman for Primera Liga Deportivo Coruna, who play
Barcelona in the next round of league matches on October 15,
attempted to distance the club from the matter.
"The letter is not the official position of the club,"
Rafael Carpacho told Reuters. "The lawyer was merely informing
the federation about the problems over the status of the
player."
Later on Tuesday a lawyer acting for Primera Liga Alaves
said they would also be calling for the player's licence to be
annulled.
Messi was prevented from playing for Barcelona in the league
at the start of the season because the club had already filled
its permitted quota of three non-European Union players.
Last week he was granted Spanish citizenship and went on to
play in Barca's 2-2 draw at home to Real Zaragoza in the league.
If Messi's registration is declared to be unsound then
Zaragoza could try and get the result of the game overturned on
the grounds Barcelona fielded an ineligible player.
The case would in all likelihood drag on for many months
because all parties could appeal to the RFEF, then to the
Spanish Committee for Sports Discipline (CEDD) and even to the
civil courts.
Barca president Joan Laporta told sports daily Marca on
Monday that he believed there was an organised campaign to
prevent Messi from playing for the club.
"Some have tried to create confusion over the affair and
I've seen evidence of ill-will from some people who had planned
to take action to ensure Messi will not play," he said.