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Barcelona fined €602 after Atlético Madrid complaint over Julián Álvarez approach

The Spanish football association imposed the fine after Atlético complained that Barcelona contacted its striker without written notice. FIFA said it had no jurisdiction over a separate complaint.

NewsJaws DeskEditorial desk

Published 27 Oct 2026, 21:54 GMT2 min read

Panoramic view of the Metropolitano stadium in Madrid, home of Atlético de Madrid. — A panoramic view of the Metropolitano stadium, Atlético de Madrid’s home ground, in Madrid. File photograph from 2018. Fernandopascullo, Wanda-Metropolitano (resized and converted to WebP). CC BY-SA 4.0.Image source Image licence: CC BY-SA 4.0

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Barcelona was fined €602 by the Spanish football association on Tuesday, 27 October, following Atlético Madrid’s complaint about contact with striker Julián Álvarez, BBC Sport reported. The case concerns whether Atlético was given written notice before the approach, while Álvarez remains under contract with the Madrid club.

Atlético alleged that Barcelona approached the Argentina international without first notifying his club in writing. Reuters reported that the sanction falls under Article 133 of the Spanish federation’s regulations. The fine is the federation’s response to that complaint; the underlying decision has not been released in the reports of the case.

What happened to Atlético’s FIFA complaint

Atlético also took its complaint to FIFA. Football’s governing body said it had no jurisdiction over the case, according to BBC Sport and Reuters. That finding concerns FIFA’s ability to handle Atlético’s complaint; the €602 fine was issued separately by the Spanish football association.

Why Álvarez’s Barcelona comments mattered

Álvarez’s comments about wanting to play for Barcelona had already strained his relationship with Atlético supporters. Reuters reported that an interview during the 2026 World Cup, in which he spoke of wanting to fulfil that ambition, prompted a transfer dispute that continued through the summer window. He stayed at Atlético, and his contract runs until June 2030, BBC Sport reported.

After scoring the winner against Deportivo La Coruña on Saturday, Álvarez apologised to Atlético fans for those comments. ‘It was a mistake. I understand why the fans are angry,’ he said, according to Reuters. ‘If I were a fan, I’d be angry too. Especially given how they’ve supported me since I arrived.’ BBC Sport reported that some supporters gave him a standing ovation after the goal, following boos earlier in the season.

The win moved Diego Simeone’s side within two points of league leaders Barcelona. It was Álvarez’s first La Liga goal of the season, according to BBC Sport, and his second consecutive match with a goal, according to Reuters. The dispute over his comments has therefore unfolded while Atlético remains close to Barcelona in the league table.