The Spanish Football Federation has imposed a symbolic fine on the Catalan club, following an investigation launched at the request of Atlético Madrid over alleged unauthorized contacts with the Argentine striker.
The clash between Atlético Madrid and Barcelona over the Julián Álvarez case has ended with an almost symbolic sanction. The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) fined the Catalan club just 602 euros, after a special investigation launched at the end of last July, following an official complaint from Atlético Madrid’s executives.
At the center of the case were the alleged direct and unauthorized contacts by Barcelona with the Argentine striker, who is contracted to Atlético Madrid until June 2030.
Under the competition rules of Spanish football, any club that intends to negotiate with a player registered with another team must notify the club that holds his registration in advance and in writing.
Dissatisfied with the way the contacts had been carried out, Atlético Madrid’s executives also turned to FIFA. However, world football’s highest body stated that it had no jurisdiction to handle the matter, leaving the decision to the sports justice bodies in Spain.
After reviewing the case, the disciplinary body of the Spanish federation found a violation of Article 133 of the regulations, which provides for measures for minor offenses related to failure to respect relevant obligations and provisions.
Possible sanctions included fines of up to 602 euros, as well as short suspensions for the individuals involved. In the end, the federation decided to apply the minimum financial measure provided for in the regulations.
The decision puts an end, at least in disciplinary terms, to one of the summer transfer market clashes between two Spanish clubs, while the amount of the fine is significantly low compared with the seriousness of the accusations and the tensions that accompanied the case.