TAD Overturns FC Andorra's €9,000 Fine Over Piqué's Referee Remark

The Administrative Court of Sport (TAD) has upheld an appeal from FC Andorra, overturning a 9,000-euro fine imposed by the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) over comments made by Gerard Piqué to the referee during a match against Deportivo de la Coruña.

The incident occurred on 20 December 2025 at the Nou Estadi de la FAF, during the 19th matchday of the Segunda División. According to the referee's report, Piqué approached the official at halftime as he headed to the dressing rooms and said: "Qué fácil es pitar a los pequeños" ("How easy it is to penalise the small teams").

The RFEF's Discipline Committee fined the club for failing to act against conduct deemed disrespectful and intolerant. It also noted Piqué's presence in a restricted dressing-room area without authorisation, warning of harsher penalties for any repeat offence.

FC Andorra appealed first to the RFEF Appeal Committee and then to the TAD. The club argued the cited regulation applied only to futsal, not professional football; that Piqué held valid accreditation; and that his remark was protected criticism, not an insult or threat.

The TAD partially sided with the club, ruling that the RFEF initially relied on an inapplicable futsal rule. The Appeal Committee upheld the fine but shifted grounds, dropping the unauthorised-access claim and instead blaming the club's lack of oversight over an accredited individual. This change, the TAD found, substantially altered the charge, breaching the club's right to defence and the principle of legal certainty under the Spanish Constitution.

The court also criticised the RFEF bodies for rejecting club-submitted evidence, including Piqué's accreditation, the club's internal security protocol, and witness testimony. It stressed that sanction proceedings must allow relevant new evidence to uphold fair defence rights.

The decision annuls the fine and related warning, though the TAD noted the RFEF could open a fresh case if the referee's facts fit another offence without legal barriers.