Barcelona have been fined €602 by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) following a complaint by Atlético Madrid over the Catalan club’s pursuit of Argentine striker Julián Álvarez.
The decision, finalised on Tuesday, October 27, follows allegations that Barcelona failed to observe the required procedure before expressing interest in a player still under contract with another Spanish club.
According to reports attributed to football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the federation imposed the penalty under Article 133 of its disciplinary regulations, which covers failure to comply with established instructions and obligations.
Under Spanish football regulations, clubs are expected to notify a player’s current employer in writing before opening negotiations with a contracted player. Atlético accused Barcelona of failing to meet this requirement during their attempts to explore a possible move for Álvarez.
The 26-year-old forward joined Atlético from Manchester City in 2024 and remains contracted to the Madrid-based club until June 2030. Barcelona’s interest gathered momentum during the summer transfer window, particularly after the Argentina international spoke about his long-standing ambition to play for the Catalan giants.
However, negotiations did not produce a transfer, leaving Álvarez at Atlético for the current season.
Atlético also took its complaint to FIFA, but the world football governing body declined to intervene, citing a lack of jurisdiction over the dispute between two clubs from the same national association. The case was subsequently handled by the RFEF, which opened disciplinary proceedings in late July.
Despite the ruling, Barcelona are reportedly preparing to appeal, maintaining that they properly communicated their interest to Atlético and acted within the rules. The club’s challenge is understood to concern the principle behind the decision rather than the financial value of the penalty.
The €602 sanction has attracted attention because of its relatively small size. It also recalls a similar dispute in 2019, when Atlético complained about Barcelona’s pursuit of Antoine Griezmann, resulting in a €300 fine.
Meanwhile, Álvarez has been attempting to ease tensions with Atlético supporters following the controversy surrounding his earlier comments about wanting to join Barcelona. The forward has faced boos from sections of the club’s fanbase but scored the winning goal against Deportivo La Coruña on Saturday.
After that match, he publicly expressed regret over the timing and manner of his previous remarks.
Although the RFEF has now issued its decision, Barcelona’s planned appeal could prolong the dispute between the two La Liga rivals.
