Rafinha Handed Record Fine

• omgukilledkenny

  31 Aug 08, 16:12

  

  Brazilian full back Rafinha has been hit with a considerable fine from his club Schalke for participating in the Olympics against their wishes.

  The 22 year old defender has returned to the club and returned to first-team action, but manager Andreas Müller has revealed that the player will be “hit where it hurts” for going AWOL.  

  “We talked with him about the subject before the game in Madrid” Müller told the club's official website.

  “Therefore he knew that we would now speak with him about a punishment.  It will be a painful punishment, which would hurt anyone.

  “By staying away for a long time he has gone against his contract many times” Müller explained.  

  “For me it is above all important to impose a penalty in order to make clear in the team that we will not stand for such behaviour.”

  The exact level of the fine has not been revealed, but it is believed to a six-figure number. 

  Rafinha should not have to pay any fine himself though, with the Brazilian FA likely to pay it on his behalf.

• omgukilledkenny

  24 Sep 08, 22:20

  RAFINHA HANDED RECORD FINE

  Schalke have fined defender Rafinha a record €700,000 (£553,000) for making the trip to the Olympic Games.

  The Brazilian earned the ire of club bosses after travelling to Beijing against the expressed wishes of the Schalke management team and spending a total of 35 days away from Gelsenkirchen.

  A report in SportBild has now revealed that the 23-year-old has been ordered to pay the massive penalty, for what the Royal Blues see as a serious breach of contract:

  "The fine is in accordance with the gravity of the situation," Schalke board chairman Clemens Tonnies commented.

  Rafinha has taken his case to the international Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in the hope that the Brazilian Football Federation can be forced to pay the fine.