The 'Julián Alvarez' case has been one of the summer's most intriguing stories, and yesterday we learned another twist that directly threatens Barcelona's management.
The Disciplinary Committee of the Real Federación Española de Fútbol (RFEF) has decided to initiate an extraordinary disciplinary procedure against the club after Atlético de Madrid filed a complaint alleging irregular contacts with their striker. The case stems from a formal denunciation made by the Atleti on June 30, accusing Barcelona of negotiating with a player who was under contract until 2030 during what is known as the 'protected period'. This legal move came weeks after Atlético publicly denounced a 'campaign of harassment and defamation' filled with targeted leaks and calls before direct confrontations.
Barca's stance, as stated by their CEO Miguel Ángel Gil, is clear: 'We will not accept any offer, be it 100, 150 or 200 million euros'.
With an appointed investigator to process the procedure and waiting for Barça's relevant statements, a wide range of sanctions are on the table.
Possible Penalties
The FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players stipulate that if it is proven that a team induces a player to break his contract during this protected period, the offending club will be punished severely with a ban on registering new players (both nationally and internationally) for two consecutive complete registration periods. At the national level, the case is based on articles 93 and 133 of the Disciplinary Code. The first article deals with deliberate and repeated breaches of regulations, which includes fines (602 to 3,006 euros), one- to two-month suspensions, a total or partial closure of the stadium, or even a deduction of three points in the La Liga.
The second article focuses on less serious infractions. It provides for fines up to 602 euros, suspensions or bans of up to two months, and a stadium closure for one match.
Precedent
Despite the harshness of these texts, there is a precedent at Barca that offers some optimism: the signing of Antoine Griezmann in 2019. In that case, Atlético denounced under the same articles the behind-the-scenes contacts with the French forward. Although during the instruction of that case, the judge proposed to close the Catalan club's stadium, the Disciplinary Committee ultimately imposed a symbolic fine of 300 euros.
