Barcelona will appeal against a €602 fine imposed by the Spanish Football Federation following a complaint from Atletico Madrid over the club’s interest in Julian Alvarez, according to a report published on Tuesday.
The Catalan club has decided not to pay the penalty, despite the relatively small amount involved. Spanish newspaper Marca says Barcelona regards the fine as “negligible” but will challenge it on ethical and principled grounds because it believes it did nothing wrong.
The dispute centres on Barcelona’s reported interest in signing Argentina striker Julian Alvarez, who is under contract with Atletico Madrid until June 2030. The deal is understood to contain a release clause worth €500m, according to Spanish reports.
Atletico accused Barcelona of contacting Alvarez and attempting to persuade him to join while he remained tied to the Madrid club. The Spanish side argued that the approach took place during a period of contractual protection, when negotiations with a player are subject to specific rules.
The Spanish Football Federation subsequently fined Barcelona €602. The punishment was widely described as trivial because of the small value of the penalty.
Marca reports that Barcelona will appeal in an attempt to have the sanction overturned. The club also intends to challenge any other punishments connected with the same case.
People inside Barcelona reportedly acknowledged that the fine was “ridiculous” in financial terms for a club of its size. However, the report says the decision not to pay is not motivated by the value of the penalty, but by the belief that Barcelona did not breach any regulations.
Barcelona maintains that its communication with Alvarez was legitimate. The club also insists that Atletico Madrid was informed directly about its interest in the forward.
The case therefore remains focused on the circumstances of the contact rather than the amount of the fine. Barcelona’s position is that its approach complied with the relevant rules and that Atletico was aware of its interest in the player.