Barcelona have been fined €602 by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) after Atlético Madrid’s formal complaint about the Catalan club’s handling of interest in striker Julián Álvarez.

New Telegraph reports that Atletico accused their La Liga rivals of contacting the Argentina international without first notifying them in writing, breaching regulations regarding approaches for contracted players.

The Spanish football association issued the sanction, but FIFA reportedly declined to intervene.

As reported by Fabrizio Romano on X on Wednesday, the sanction, confirmed on Tuesday, was imposed under Article 133 of the RFEF’s disciplinary regulations for failure to comply with orders, instructions, agreements or regulatory obligations.

It is classified as a minor infringement. Spanish rules require any club seeking to negotiate with a contracted player to first notify the player’s current club in writing.

Álvarez remains under contract at Atlético until June 2030 after joining from Manchester City in 2024. He joined Atletico from Manchester City in August 2024 in a deal worth up to £81.5 million and remains under contract until June 2030.

The 26-year-old endured a difficult relationship with sections of Atletico’s support after publicly saying he wants to fulfil his dream of playing for Barcelona this summer.

However, he apologised after scoring the winner against Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday, admitting his comments were a mistake.