FC Barcelona have been ordered to pay a nominal fine of €602 by the Competition Committee of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) following a formal disciplinary complaint lodged by La Liga rivals Atlético Madrid regarding the Catalan club’s pursuit of Argentine striker Julián Álvarez. The ruling, officially handed down on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, at the RFEF headquarters in Las Rozas, Madrid, concludes a multi-month administrative dispute that began during the summer transfer window.
Atlético Madrid officials alleged that Barcelona engaged in improper direct negotiations with the 26-year-old forward without first seeking written permission from his parent club. At the center of the dispute was an alleged breach of Article 133 of the RFEF Disciplinary Regulations, which mandates that any club wishing to negotiate with a player under contract elsewhere must notify the selling club in writing before opening direct dialogue.
Álvarez remains under contract at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano until June 2030, following his £81.5 million transfer from Manchester City in August 2024. The Disciplinary Committee ultimate classified the non-compliance as a minor regulatory infraction, resulting in the maximum standard monetary penalty for minor violations, set at €602.
The penalty carries historical resonance, mirroring a 2019 dispute between the same two clubs in which Barcelona received a symbolic €300 fine following Atlético’s grievance over the transfer pursuit of French forward Antoine Griezmann. Both institutions maintained contrasting positions in formal statements following the release of the committee’s findings.
A spokesperson for Atlético Madrid stated that regulations exist to protect the integrity of contracts and mutual respect between institutions, adding that direct approaches to contracted athletes without prior formal notification undermine standard procedure across the league.
In response, an FC Barcelona spokesperson maintained that the club acted transparently and in good faith throughout the summer, asserting that formal notification of interest was delivered to Atlético Madrid and confirming that Barcelona will submit an official appeal to the RFEF Appeals Committee on a matter of principle.
The administrative proceedings follow months of tension that spilled onto the pitch during the opening weeks of the domestic season. Álvarez addressed the ongoing controversy on Saturday, October 24, 2026, after scoring the decisive goal in Atlético Madrid’s 1–0 victory over RC Deportivo de A Coruña at the Metropolitano, offering a public apology to supporters for the off-field distractions and reaffirming his long-term commitment to the capital club.
