Barcelona handed bizarre punishment for 'tapping up' Julian Alvarez

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Tom Weber | Writer

Barcelona have been handed a "symbolic" punishment for their allegedly unlawful pursuit of Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez.

The Argentine was the protagonist of one of the summer's biggest transfer sagas. Chased by Arsenal and Barcelona, Alvarez ultimately stayed at Atletico Madrid, but it wasn't for a lack of trying.

The 26-year-old went public with his desire to join Barcelona during the World Cup, but Atleti made it abundantly clear that they would not sell their star striker to a LaLiga rival, resulting in a complete breakdown in the relationship between the two clubs.

The Madrid club would have reluctantly sold Alvarez to Arsenal, but the player refused to entertain a return to England after his previous experience at Man City. It was Barcelona or bust for the forward.

The situation remained deadlocked throughout the entire transfer window, and Alvarez has now been fully reintegrated into Diego Simeone's team despite some initial awkwardness. He recently apologised for his comments during the World Cup, but that's not the end of the story.

Barcelona punished

Alvarez still intends to leave his club. He has reportedly dropped his long-time agent Fernando Hidalgo after this summer's debacle and is set to link up with Pablo Barquero, who engineered Rodri's transfer from Man City to Barcelona.

The Catalans have claimed that the Alvarez saga is over, that it's water under the bridge, but it is believed that they remain keen to sign him. The problem is that Atleti chiefs have insisted that they will continue to block a move to Barcelona.

Meanwhile, Arsenal's slim hopes of a January transfer have also been dashed, with Atleti unwilling to consider a mid-season exit after spending weeks trying to get him back fit and firing.

While the future is uncertain, the past continues to cast a long shadow. In the summer, Atleti filed several complaints against Barcelona for their conduct in pursuit of the Argentine. They chiefly accused the reigning Spanish champions of "tapping up" Alvarez.

In the wake of the striker's comments at the World Cup, saying that a transfer would be in everyone's best interest without explicitly naming Barcelona, Atleti CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin confirmed that the club would take up the matter with FIFA.

Atleti argued Barcelona must have held talks with Alvarez before he made that statement and that this happened without their formal permission, thus constituting a breach of transfer regulations.

However, AS reported at the time that FIFA sources believed Atleti's charges had little merit, and the Spanish outlet has now confirmed that the governing body refused to get involved.

The club's second complaint, sent to the Spanish federation, has yielded a result, albeit a trifling one. The publication reports that Barcelona will get a slap on the wrist for a "minor breach of regulatory obligations," as per Article 133 of the federation's rules.

The Catalans will have to pay a €602 fine (yes, €602, not €620,000) once the case is formally resolved. This is described as "an almost symbolic punishment." The federation has treated this matter as a simple dispute rather than anything more sinister.

It's a small victory for Atleti, but will they win the war?

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