October 29 – Barcelona have been fined €602 by the Spanish Football Federation (FRFEF) over their summer pursuit of Atlético de Madrid’s Julián Álvarez. That is roughly the cost of a decent dinner in Barcelona, or about 0.0006% of what they were reportedly preparing to offer for the player.
Atlético reported Barcelona to the RFEF in July, alleging improper attempts to sign the Argentina forward and a breach of ethics between the clubs. The federation confirmed on Tuesday that Barcelona had been sanctioned under Article 133 of its disciplinary code, covering “failure to comply with orders, instructions, agreements, or regulatory obligations.”
The €602 fine is the maximum for a minor offence. Barcelona plan to appeal anyway and have always denied wrongdoing.
The Athletic reported in May that Barcelona were preparing a formal offer of around €100 million for Álvarez. Atlético took the dispute public with social media posts captioned: “Don’t believe everything you see, especially if it’s related to Barca.”
Álvarez made his own feelings clear at the World Cup, saying “a transfer is the best option” and that he wanted to “fulfil” his “dream.” The move never happened.
He started the season being whistled and told to leave by Atlético supporters. Things have since calmed. He has two goals and two assists in nine games, including Saturday’s winner against Deportivo La Coruña, and is under contract until 2030.
After that game, he apologised. “I want to apologise to our fans for my comments during the World Cup,” he told Movistar Plus. “The way I said things and the timing were mistakes on my part. I understand the anger. As a fan myself, I would have been angry too, especially given how much they have always supported me.”
So, to summarise: Atlético kept their player, the player apologised, and Barcelona were fined €602 and intend to fight it.
Contact the writer of this story, Nick Webster. At nick.webster@insideworldfootball.com