Spain‘s Lamine Yamal has condemned “disrespectful and intolerable” anti-Muslim chants during his country’s goalless draw with Egypt in Barcelona on Tuesday, with local police launching an investigation into the incidents which marred the match.
Fans sang anti-Muslim songs during the first half of La Roja‘s friendly at RCDE Stadium against Egypt, a predominantly Muslim nation with Islam as the official state religion.
The chants were not directed at Yamal — a practicing Muslim who observed Ramadan last month — but nonetheless had an indirect impact on the Barcelona teenager.
“I am Muslim, alhamdulillah (thanks be to God),” Yamal posted on Instagram. “In the stadium there were chants of ‘If you don’t jump, you’re a Muslim.’ I know it was against the opposition and nothing personal, but as a Muslim it is still disrespectful and completely intolerable.
“I understand it’s not all supporters, but to those that that chant these things: to use religion as a way of mocking others inside a stadium is ignorant and racist.
“Football is to be enjoyed, to show your support, not to disrespect others for who they are or what they believe in.”
Yamal was born in Barcelona. His father is from Morocco and his mother is from Equatorial Guinea, but he has represented Spain from an early age, despite strong interest from Morocco.
At 18, he is already one of the stars of the Spain team, helping them win UEFA Euro 2024, and is set to play an important role at the FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer.
Berni Álvarez, the minister for sports in Catalonia, said he understood Yamal had been affected by the chants, saying they would stand by the Barça player in whatever way necessary.
“It’s normal that he’s affected by what happened,” Álvarez told reporters. “We will try and support him if we can make contact with him.
– Fans warned about anti-Muslim chants during Spain-Egypt match
“What happened was deplorable. It’s an extremely serious issue which we absolutely condemn. It’s a massive step backwards.
“The sensation is everything had been planned. Those chanting came to the game to spout hate speech. I doubt many of those involved had any connection to the world of sport.”
Meanwhile, the Mossos, a strand of local police in Barcelona, confirmed Wednesday they were investigating “Islamophobic and xenophobic chants” which took place during the Spain-Egypt game.
A source told ESPN that FIFA will also analyse the various reports from the game, with Spain facing potential sanctions from world football’s governing body.
As is standard procedure in these cases, FIFA will review reports from the referee, the match inspector, the on-site security team and inspect video evidence before deciding what action, if any, is necessary.
Álvarez also demanded action be taken against those involved in the chants, criticising the lack of reaction at the time from the Royal Spanish Football Federation [RFEF] and the Catalan Football Federation [FCF], who had organised the match.
“The reaction arrived late and was not sufficient,” he added. “We were not involved at all in the organisation of the game, but we told the RFEF and the FCF at half time to either activate the necessary protocols or we would leave the stadium.
“It should have been applied after the very first chant and, when it continued, the game should have been stopped. You have to be strong against these issues.
“We have demanded a report about what can be done and what decisions will be taken now. We’re going to demand forceful action. There will be a way to identify those who started the chants.”
There had been loud whistling during Egypt’s national anthem before the game, with fans later chanting “Musulmán el que no bote” — which roughly translates to “If you’re not jumping, you’re a Muslim” — before whistling again when some Egyptian players kneeled and kissed the ground at halftime.
A message was displayed on the screen at halftime — which was also read out by the stadium announcer — ordering supporters to desist from xenophobic remarks and singing.
The message was then repeated early in the second half, with some sections of the crowd whistling at the request.
Also on Wednesday, 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.
“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.
“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.”
Espanyol also issued a statement on Wednesday saying: “RCD Espanyol strongly condemn the racist behaviour that occurred during the friendly match between Spain and Egypt organised by the RFEF, played on Tuesday night at the RCDE 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.”
