Fines are commonplace at the vast majority - if not all - of professional football clubs.

They’re a good way to ensure all of the players know it’ll cost them if they break the club’s ground rules.

If you’re a lower-league player, you might be fined £20 if you’re five minutes late to training and that money is then usually put towards an event - such as the Christmas party.

But what are the fines like for players at an elite-level club?

Well, Deportes Cuatro - per Spanish newspaper Marca - have obtained documents showing the disciplinary fines of the world’s biggest and most successful football club: Real Madrid.

The documents show players are fined for lateness, being overweight and using their mobile phones among other misdemeanours.

Lateness

Real Madrid’s players can receive fines of between €250 and €1000 for lateness, and up to €3000 for missing training without a valid excuse.

Players must show up at least 45 minutes before the start of training.

- Five minutes late: €250 fine
- 15 minutes late: €500 fine
- Over 15 minutes late: €1000 fine
- Unjustifiable absence from training: €3000 fine

Mobile phones

Per Marca, the documents state “there is an emphasis on the misuse of mobile phones in some situations, such as on the stretcher while being attended by the physios or in the bus or in the dressing room, as the phones should be on silent.”

Those who break these rules can expect a €250 fine, or a €500-€1000 fine for repeat offenders.

Being overweight

Players are fined €250 if they are not weighed (this is mandatory once a week).

Exceeding the weight that is deemed acceptable could rise to €1000 in the case of repeated offence.

Other

Real Madrid players must also notify their coach if they decide to leave the Spanish capital on a day off, as well as inform the club of any interview or commercial activities (which must be approved by Los Blancos beforehand)

Fines for a breach of these rules can reach up to a whopping €1000.

Injured players must remain at Valdebebas (Real Madrid’s training ground) until the end of the season, unless given permission by the doctor and the coach.

Players not called up must be in the dressing room with the team before the start of the game and remain inside the stadium until at least 10 minutes before the match finished.

Visitors are not allowed in the rooms while travelling or away with the team.

Press conferences must be conducted in official club attire.

A lot of these rules seem rather strict, but perhaps this is the only way to keep multi-millionaire footballers with big egos in check.

Nobody likes being fined - whether you’re earning minimum wage or £500,000-a-week - and it seems this method of discipline is reasonably effective at all levels.