The president exonerated everyone at Madrid as he faced the media on Thursday, but it will be the club's own fault if they are thrown out of the Copa del Rey on Friday.
MADRID -- Florentino Perez was adamant. Real Madrid has done nothing wrong. He did not know Denis Cheryshev was suspended - and therefore ineligible - to face Cadiz in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday night. That was the president's defense - and he may yet get away with it.
Cheryshev started in the cup clash at the Ramon Carranza and opened the scoring after just three minutes, but he was substituted at the start of the second half after it emerged that he had not been entitled to play, having picked up three yellow cards in the Copa last season when on loan at Villarreal.