Barcelona fined over Álvarez approach

Barcelona have been handed a €602 fine by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) following a formal complaint from Atlético Madrid about the Catalan club’s handling of interest in striker Julián Álvarez

As reported by Fabrizio Romano on X on Wednesday, the sanction, confirmed on Tuesday, was imposed under Article 133 of the RFEF’s disciplinary regulations for failure to comply with orders, instructions, agreements or regulatory obligations.

It is classified as a minor infringement. Spanish rules require any club seeking to negotiate with a contracted player to first notify the player’s current club in writing. Atlético alleged Barcelona approached the Argentina international without properly fulfilling that requirement.

Álvarez, 26, remains under contract at Atlético until June 2030 after joining from Manchester City in 2024. Interest from Barcelona intensified during the summer transfer window, fuelled in part by the player’s public comments expressing a desire to fulfil a long-held dream of playing for the Blaugrana. No deal materialised, and Álvarez stayed in Madrid.

Atlético also lodged a parallel complaint with FIFA, which ruled it had no jurisdiction over a dispute between two Spanish clubs and left the matter with the RFEF. The federation opened an extraordinary disciplinary file in late July and has now resolved it with the maximum fine available under the relevant light-infringement clause.

The amount has been widely described as symbolic or “irrisoria.” It closely mirrors a 2019 case in which Atlético complained about Barcelona’s approach for Antoine Griezmann and the resulting fine was just €300.

Barcelona intend to appeal. Club sources and reports from outlets including Marca and El Chiringuito indicate the decision is being challenged on principle rather than over the modest sum. Barcelona maintain they informed Atlético of their interest and conducted themselves correctly throughout the process.

Meanwhile Álvarez has been working to repair relations with Atlético supporters. He has faced some booing this season but scored the decisive goal in Saturday’s win over Deportivo La Coruña, after which he publicly apologised for the timing and manner of his earlier comments about wanting to leave.

The fine closes the formal disciplinary chapter of a tense summer saga between two La Liga rivals, though Barcelona’s planned appeal means the matter is not yet fully settled.