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Spanish FA fines Barcelona €602 after Atletico Madrid dispute over Julian Alvarez
Barcelona have been fined €602 (£503) by the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) following a complaint by Atletico Madrid over their illegal pursuit of striker Julian Alvarez, The Independent reported.
The dispute centered on allegations that Barcelona approached Alvarez—who remains under contract at Atletico until June 2030—without notifying his club in writing.
The penalty was issued under Article 133 of the federation’s regulations, while FIFA declared it lacked jurisdiction after Atletico also submitted a complaint to football’s governing body.
Alvarez, who publicly expressed a desire to join Barcelona during the 2026 World Cup, recently apologized to Atletico fans after scoring the winning goal against Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday.
“It was a mistake. I understand why the fans are angry. If I were a fan, I’d be angry too. Especially given how they’ve supported me since I arrived,” Alvarez stated.
The Argentine forward ultimately stayed at Atletico following interest from both Barcelona and Arsenal during the summer transfer window.
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