Rafinha handed record fine

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

Brazilian takes case to CAS

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.