The biggest fines in sport

The biggest fines in sport 

Hamburg - The 100 million dollars fine that McLaren-Mercedes have to pay after motorsport's governing body FIA ruled that they had been involved in a spying affair with Ferrari, is the highest-ever fine handed out in sport. There have been several other high-profile cases in which teams or organizations have been fined.

FORMULA ONE: Because of a political issue the organizers of the Turkish Grand Prix are fined 5 million dollars in August 2006. This follows an incident during which a turk-cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat, who handed over the trophy to the winning driver, is announced as the president of the Turkish republic of North Cyprus. The sport's controlling body FIA ruled that this was in violation of political neutrality as North Cyprus is not recognized internationally. Later the fine is reduced to 2.5 million dollars.  

BOXING: In 2002 a New York court orders the World Boxing Council (WBC) to pay 31 million dollars to German boxer Graciano Rocchigiani, who had earlier won the light-heavyweight title, but had then stripped of it. The WBC then declared themselves insolvent. An out of court settlement of 4.5 million dollars was later reached.  

FOOTBALL: Manchester United, the English FA and a number of other sporting organizations are ordered in 2003 to pay 37.7 million dollars after they were found to have illegally fixed the prices for replica jerseys. In the same year the Greek club AEK Athens is ordered to pay 32 million dollars after being found guilty of issuing falsified invoices.  

BASKETBALL: US star Vince Carter is ordered to pay sports manufacturer Puma 13.5 million dollars after the player unilaterally cancelled a contract with the company at the end of 1999.