Spain's football federation has fined Barcelona €602 (£503) following a complaint from Atletico Madrid about contact with striker Julian Alvarez. Atletico said Barcelona approached Alvarez without first notifying the club in writing. The sanction was issued under Article 133 of the federation's regulations. Atletico also complained to FIFA, which said it had no jurisdiction over the case. The fine came after Alvarez scored Atletico's winner against Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday, moving his side within two points of LaLiga leaders Barcelona. Alvarez, 26, has apologised for an interview at the 2026 World Cup in which he said he wanted to play for Barcelona. He remains under contract at Atletico until June 2030.
Nationwide protests in France have brought clashes, looting and arson in several cities. French Interior Ministry figures put participation at about 410,000, while the CGT union estimated about 800,000. Police reported 1,314 arrests and 53 injured officers, and 70,000 officers were deployed. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu then met student groups on Monday, and the government announced €4 billion in loans for school renovations and new university admissions rules. Student leaders say they will keep protesting because not all demands were met.
France and Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé has apologised to China and its people after a clip of him discussing a meme that shows his face on a Chinese dictator went viral. The image is widely read as a reference to Mao Zedong. Three Chinese sponsors, Dongpeng, Mengniu and Milkground, have ended their deals with him. China Media Group has said it will suspend broadcasts of LaLiga and other matches involving Mbappé, and LaLiga has expressed deep regret over the hurt caused to Chinese fans.