Barcelona were fined €602 for approaching Julián Álvarez, and they are appealing anyway
The Spanish federation says Barcelona broke the rules chasing Atlético Madrid’s striker in the summer. The club wants its name cleared, and Álvarez has already apologised to Atlético’s fans.
Oct 28, 2026
The Spanish football federation has found Barcelona guilty of approaching Julián Álvarez without telling Atlético Madrid first. The punishment is a fine of €602. Barcelona are still going to appeal it.
The RFEF’s disciplinary committee closed the case this week after a complaint from Atlético, who accused their title rivals of making contact with the Argentina striker over the summer while he was under contract. Spanish rules say a club that wants to sign a contracted professional has to notify his current club in writing first.
The committee called Barcelona’s breach a minor infraction under Article 133 of its disciplinary code, which covers failing to meet regulatory obligations, and €602 is the most that article allows for a minor offence. Atlético also took the case to FIFA, which said it had no jurisdiction.
Why appeal a fine this small?
Because paying it means admitting it. According to the Barcelona-based daily Sport, the club’s lawyers see any fine as an admission of guilt and want their name cleared. Barcelona’s line is that they did things properly, including sending Atlético a formal proposal that went unanswered.
Atlético have been through this with Barcelona before. In September 2019 the federation fined Barcelona €300 after Atlético complained that Antoine Griezmann had been approached without permission. The sum has doubled in seven years. The outcome has not really changed.
Álvarez has already said sorry
The player at the centre of it has spent the autumn trying to win his own fans back. On 22 June, after Argentina’s 2-0 World Cup win over Austria, Álvarez said a transfer would be best for everyone and that he wanted “to fulfil my dream”. He did not name a club, but Atlético supporters drew their own conclusions, and he has been whistled at home this season.
On Saturday he scored the only goal against Deportivo La Coruña, three minutes into the second half, and used the post-match interview to apologise. “It was a mistake,” he said. “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.” Some of the crowd stood to applaud him. Diego Simeone said he had “a great deal of respect for people who apologise, because apologising is not easy.”
The 26-year-old joined Atlético from Manchester City in August 2024 and is under contract until June 2030. The win over Deportivo took Atlético to 25 points from ten games, two behind leaders Barcelona, who lost the Clásico to Real Madrid the next day. With the two clubs that close in the table, a €602 fine was never going to be the end of it.