Why Were Barcelona's Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski Fined by UEFA?

Lamine Yamal and Robert Lewandowski were fined by UEFA after the Barcelona duo was found guilty of breaching the anti-doping protocol. Along with the Barca players, head coach Hansi Flick was also sanctioned by the European football governing body for violating the basic rules of decent conduct. All these incidents happened in the second leg of the Champions League semi-finals, which Barcelona lost 3-4 to crash out of the competition.

Yamal, Lewandowski Anti-Doping Breach

Barcelona's new no. 10 Lamine Yamal and Robert Lewandowski each have been fined €5,000 by UEFA for failing to report immediately to doping control following the dramatic 2025 Champions League semi-final against Inter Milan. Even though Yamal’s impressive performance on the pitch drew praise and attention across Europe, his delay in being present for testing raised major red flags with the disciplinary panel. UEFA verified the violation per Articles 21.8 and 21.10(a) of its anti-doping rules, which do not exempt games, even those that are intense and high-stakes. Barca striker Robert Lewandowski was also sanctioned for an identical breach. UEFA stressed that, intentional or not, skipping or delaying these procedures damages the fairness and credibility of the testing process.

Hansi Flick Fined for Inappropriate Conduct

The Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick, who was surely heartbroken by the narrow defeat against Inter, and assistant Marcus Sorg, have been fined €20,000 each for inappropriate conduct during the Champions League game. Flick and Sorg have also been handed a one-match ban, meaning they will not be on the bench during Barcelona's next European fixtures. Moreover, the Spanish club itself was fined €5,250 for fans throwing objects and €2,500 for igniting fireworks.