MADRID (AP) — Spain star Lamine Yamal on Wednesday condemned the anti-Muslim chants made by Spanish fans during a friendly soccer game in the latest incident to dent the nation’s sporting image.
The Spanish government and the soccer federation also condemned the chants, and police said they were investigating the behavior by fans during Tuesday’s game between Spain and Egypt in the city of Barcelona.
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Yamal, who is Muslim, said the chants made by part of the fans at RCDE Stadium were disrespectful and intolerable. He said it didn’t matter that the chants were not directed at him personally.
“I understand that not all fans are like that, but to those who chant these things: Using a religion as a taunt on the field makes you look ignorant and racist,” he wrote on Instagram. “Football is for enjoying and cheering, not for disrespecting people for who they are or what they believe.”
Racist abuse against players are not uncommon in Spain. Real Madrid star Vinícius Júnior has often been subjected to racist taunts during soccer matches. Sexism has also been an issue, as Spanish soccer endured one of its most embarrassing incidents when then-federation boss Luis Rubiales kissed player Jenni Hermoso on the lips after the 2023 Women’s World Cup final. He was eventually found guilty of sexual assault.
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Spain coach Luis de la Fuente also condemned the anti-Muslim chants after the game, which was part of the team’s preparations for the World Cup.
“I feel total and absolute repulsion towards any xenophobic or racist attitudes,” he said. “They are intolerable.”
The game ended in a 0-0 draw.
The Egyptian Football Association decried the anti-Muslim chants, calling them a “reprehensible racist act.” It also condemned the lack of respect shown when the nation’s anthem was played before the match.
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“These actions are entirely unacceptable in football stadiums and represent a negative phenomenon that must be collectively addressed and eradicated,” the EFA said in a statement.
It added that it “highly appreciates the statements of rejection and condemnation issued by the Spanish Football Federation, the Spanish Ministry of Sport, as well as officials and football figures across Spain, all of whom denounced the racist incidents witnessed during the match.”
The EFA said it was working with “FIFA officials and all relevant stakeholders and international institutions to prevent such offensive incidents from occurring in football stadiums” worldwide.
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“What happened is completely unacceptable, and FIFA remains committed to combating racism and discrimination in football,” it said. “We stress the importance of preventing any recurrence of such incidents and working diligently to eliminate this phenomenon altogether.”
Egypt is a majority-Muslim country.
“Hate, racism, and xenophobia have no place in stadiums or in our society,” Milagros Tolón, the Spanish minister in charge of sports, said Wednesday.
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Catalonia’s regional police said “we will investigate yesterday’s Islamophobic and xenophobic chants at the RCDE Stadium during the friendly match Spain-Egypt.”
Barcelona-based club Espanyol condemned what it called “racist behavior” at its stadium.
“Such actions are reprehensible and unacceptable, do not represent the values of sport, and must be firmly condemned and eradicated from all sporting venues,” Espanyol said.
The club claimed that its supporters were being unfairly blamed for the incident in a “smear campaign” and that the national team fans came from “very diverse geographical and footballing backgrounds.”
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Last year, an Espanyol fan accused of racially insulting Athletic Bilbao forward Iñaki Williams during a Spanish league game in 2020 accepted a deal to avoid prison time.
Spain is due to play Saudi Arabia at the World Cup, and also faces Cape Verde and Uruguay in Group H of the 48-team tournament. Egypt has games against Belgium, New Zealand and Iran in Group G.
Spain was hosting Egypt for the game, which had originally been expected to be played in Qatar before the region was affected by the Iran war. A “Finalissima” game there between South American champion Argentina and European champion Spain was canceled after they couldn’t agree to reschedule.
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FIFA didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment about Tuesday’s chants.
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AP Sports Writer James Ellingworth contributed to this report.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Tales Azzoni, The Associated Press
