UEFA has issued fines to Barcelona forwards Lamine Yamal and Robert Lewandowski for violating anti-doping regulations following the club’s Champions League semi-final defeat to Inter Milan.
The European football governing body confirmed on Friday that both players were penalised €5,000 each for failing to immediately report to the doping control station at San Siro, as mandated by UEFA competition rules.
The breach, while procedural in nature, did not involve failed drug tests, according to Spanish outlets Marca and AS. UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body clarified that the violation stemmed purely from a delay in complying with post-match anti-doping procedures.
The sanctions come in the wake of Barcelona’s 4-3 loss in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final, which saw them eliminated from the tournament.
In addition to the player fines, UEFA also sanctioned head coach Hansi Flick and his assistant Marcus Sorg. Both were fined €20,000 each and handed one-match suspensions for misconduct and breaching UEFA’s general principles of conduct. The disciplinary committee cited inappropriate behaviour by the coaching duo during and after the match.
Meanwhile, Barcelona as a club was hit with a combined €7,750 fine for crowd disturbances. This included €5,250 for objects thrown onto the pitch and €2,500 for fireworks set off by fans.
UEFA stated that all suspensions and fines take immediate effect, with the bans applying to the next UEFA club competition fixtures.
The incident adds to a turbulent European campaign for the Catalan side, who now face disciplinary setbacks heading into next season’s continental competitions.
