World football’s governing body, FIFA, has opened disciplinary proceedings against the Spanish football federation over anti-Muslim chants heard at a recent match between Spain and Egypt.
A section of fans at the RCDE stadium in Barcelona had chanted, “Whoever doesn’t jump is a Muslim”, during the international friendly on March 31.
“FIFA has opened disciplinary proceedings today against the Spanish FA for the incidents in the friendly against Egypt,” the governing body said in a statement on Tuesday.
It was the latest in a string of similar incidents to overshadow Spanish football in recent years, with Real Madrid’s Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior in particular repeatedly racially abused.
Last week, Spanish police said they were investigating “Islamophobic and xenophobic” chants, and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez condemned an “unacceptable” incident while insisting that an “uncivil minority” would not be allowed to tarnish the country.
The Spanish Football Federation had also condemned the chants while Spain forward Lamine Yamal, who is Muslim and played in the match, blasted “a lack of respect” by those who are “ignorant and racist”.
Adding that he felt the chants were disrespectful and intolerable, Barcelona star, Yamal, said it didn’t matter that he was not targeted.
Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa said he does not believe that Spain was a tolerant country and not racist.
“If it was [racist], we would have a problem every weekend at all of the stadiums,” the Spaniard told reporters about his homeland.
