Barcelona fined by Spanish FA after Atletico Madrid complaint over Julian Alvarez pursuit

Barcelona have been fined €602 (£503) by the Spanish FA after Atletico Madrid complained that the Catalan club made contact with striker Julian Alvarez without first notifying them in writing, as required under Article 133 of the federation’s regulations. The sanction was issued on Tuesday. Atletico had also taken the matter to FIFA, which ruled it had no jurisdiction over the case.

Alvarez, who is under contract at Atletico until June 2030, had fuelled the transfer dispute himself during the 2026 World Cup when he said in an interview that he “wanted to fulfil his dream” of playing for Barcelona. The comments drew a hostile reaction from Atletico supporters, and the striker has been regularly booed at the Metropolitano this season.

His relationship with the home crowd showed signs of recovery on Saturday, however, when he scored the winner against Deportivo La Coruna — his second goal in successive matches — and received a standing ovation from sections of the crowd. After the final whistle, Alvarez offered a public apology.

“It was a mistake. 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,” he said.

The victory also had league implications, moving Atletico to within two points of La Liga leaders Barcelona.

Alvarez had also been linked with a summer move to Premier League champions Arsenal, but that transfer similarly failed to materialise. Arsenal have instead deployed Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres in attack this season under Mikel Arteta, and currently sit level on points with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League. In the Champions League, they have taken seven points from their opening three matches, including a 2-2 draw with Bayern Munich — a result that underlined their credentials in a competition they reached the final of last season before losing to PSG.