In bizarre circumstances, top Spanish side Barcelona, have lost out on the chance to play in the final of the Spanish Copa del Rey. In the second leg of the semi-final against Atletico Madrid, Barcelona brought out a 10 man side, only to announce that they would not be contesting the match. With nine of their players absent on international duty, the Catalan giants claimed that they did not have sufficient players to contest the game adequately. In front of an empty Nou Camp stadium, Capitain Josep Guardiola told the referee that his team would not be taking part in the game. Barcelona, who are currently second in the Spanish Liga, had asked for the game to be to postponed until 1 May, but the request had been rejected by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF). Atletico, who led the tie 3-0 from the first leg, now look set to qualify automatically for the final. The game had originally been scheduled for Tuesday 27 May, but was brought forward by one day by the RFEF this Saturday. Rejecting Barcelona’s appeal for a date later in May Gerardo Gonzales, RFEF General Secretary, claimed that the departure of six Dutch players could have been delayed after the fixture had been moved to the Monday. This would have meant Barcelona would have enough players to compete in the semi-final. By forfeiting the game Barcelona could be excluded from next years cup competition. They are also facing a fine of two million pesetas for their conduct. Sportcal.com