Schalke have fined defender Rafinha a record €700,000 for making the trip to the Olympic Games despite his club’s request that he remain in Germany.
The Brazilian angered club bosses after travelling to Beijing 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 penalty for 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 will pay the fine.
