18-year-old Franco Mastantuono debuted for Real Madrid in the 68th minute of their La Liga opening win against Osasuna on 19/8/2025. While he didn't make a significant impact, the Argentinian midfielder's appearance sparked a legal dispute.
Miguel Galan, president of the Spanish National Soccer Coaches Association (CENAFE), filed a complaint with the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), questioning the legitimacy of Mastantuono's registration.
According to Galan, Real Madrid registered Mastantuono with Castilla (Real Madrid's reserve team, playing in the Spanish third division) but used him in the first team. Galan argues this action violates Article 125 of the RFEF regulations. “This could constitute legal fraud and lead to the improper use of a player as outlined in Article 248," Galan wrote in his five-page complaint to the RFEF Disciplinary Committee.
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Mastantuono during Real Madrid's match against Osasuna at the Bernabeu Stadium, Madrid, Spain, in the first round of La Liga on the evening of 19/8/2025. Photo: fcbarcelonanoticias |
Mastantuono during Real Madrid's match against Osasuna at the Bernabeu Stadium, Madrid, Spain, in the first round of La Liga on the evening of 19/8/2025. Photo: fcbarcelonanoticias
The controversy extends beyond Real Madrid. Galan believes the Mastantuono case is not isolated but reflects a common practice in La Liga. Clubs register first-team players as reserve players to avoid squad size limits and salary caps imposed by Financial Fair Play rules.
The CENAFE president argues that this creates inequality. Lower-division teams face international-level players like Mastantuono registered as youth players. "The fairness of the competition is distorted, and the principle of equality among teams is broken," he wrote.
In his letter, Galan urged the RFEF Disciplinary Committee to investigate immediately, even before Real Madrid's upcoming match against Oviedo. He also requested an investigation into other clubs employing similar practices.
Besides calling for action against Real Madrid, Galan presented two major proposals to RFEF President Rafael Louzan. He suggested establishing a separate league system for reserve teams, divided into first, second, and third divisions, similar to the English system. He believes this would provide young players with fair competition and prevent "disguised first teams" from appearing in semi-professional leagues.
Galan also wants to tighten Article 125, requiring players to play at least 5 official matches for the reserve team before being promoted to the first team. “This mandatory condition will end fictitious registrations and force clubs to adhere to the spirit of the law," Galan emphasized.
No club has officially filed a complaint about the Mastantuono case yet, so the RFEF hasn't initiated disciplinary proceedings. However, the pressure from Galan's repeated complaints puts the federation in a difficult position. Ignoring the issue could lead to accusations of condoning the actions of major clubs. If they act, Real Madrid could face severe penalties.
Hoang An (Mundo Deportivo)
