Real Mallorca captain Pep Lluis Marti has slammed UEFA’s decision to reject the club’s appeal against expulsion from this season’s Europa League, describing it as “a really dirty trick”.

UEFA announced last month they had denied the Spanish side entry to the upcoming season’s competition after deeming that they had fallen foul of financial regulations relating to their debts.

Mallorca appealed the decision, with La Liga rivals Villarreal standing by ready to take their place in the competition, but UEFA announced on Friday the decision would not be overturned.

The club are likely to take the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) but the squad are reeling from the shock.

Marti said: “The feeling of the squad is that we are mad and upset, they’ve played a really dirty trick on us, we’re very hurt... it’s difficult to explain, we feel anger, powerlessness against an unfair decision especially because of the results we achieved last season, which saw that a modest team were for 38 rounds in a European position.

“We trusted in the justice and the sportsmanship of football.

“Nothing remains but to look forward and while there is life there is hope.”

The club will have to act swiftly if they are to appeal to CAS, with the draw for the Europa League play-offs taking place on Friday.

Mallorca vice-president and spokesman, Jaume Cladera, is confident it is not the end of their European dream.

He said “From Mallorca we ask for calmness because we are going to continue forward, we will continue defending the fans from this injustice. The club are following a legal strategy which we are sure will bear fruit.

“UEFA have created for themselves an unnecessary problem which could have consequences that they have not contemplated.”