Islamophobic chants by Spanish fans during a friendly football match against Egypt have sparked outrage. Stadium management were forced to intervene repeatedly to halt the racist behavior.
During the first half, some fans chanted offensive phrases, most notably “If you don’t jump, you’re a Muslim,” and booed during the Egyptian national anthem. The chants were repeated on several occasions.
Islamophobic chants
Observers at Espanyol’s stadium in Barcelona reported that organizers displayed a warning message on the stadium screens during half time, which was also read aloud by the stadium announcer, urging fans to stop the Islamophobic chants. The warning was repeated at the start of the second half, amidst continued booing from attendees.
In its first official response, the Spanish Football Federation condemned the incident, emphasizing in a statement published on its official social media accounts its categorical rejection of such behavior. The statement read:
The Spanish Football Federation stands against racism in football and condemns any act of violence within stadiums.
And Spanish coach Luis de la Fuente called the chants “intolerable” and said those responsible:
must be removed from society, identified, and kept as far away as possible.
The match was part of both teams’ preparations for the 2026 World Cup, scheduled to be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, for which both teams have already qualified.
The match saw the participation of Lamine Yamal, a player of Moroccan descent and a Muslim, in the Spanish national team’s starting lineup. Observers considered the chants to have implications beyond the realm of sports, reigniting the debate about the rise of hate speech in European stadiums.
Featured image via the Canary
By Alaa Shamali
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