- anti-racism warnings were displayed on stadium screens at half-time and shortly after the restart
- spanish authorities have launched an investigation into “Islamophobic and xenophobic”
- Following the draw, Spain slipped from the top position in the FIFA world rankings
Lamine Yamal has strongly criticised the racist chants that disrupted Spain’s goalless friendly against Egypt at RCDE Stadium in Barcelona on Tuesday.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that spanish authorities have launched an investigation into “Islamophobic and xenophobic” remarks heard during the first half of the match.
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In response, anti-racism warnings were displayed on stadium screens at half-time and shortly after the restart, though some fans reacted with boos.
Reacting via Instagram, Yamal, 18, said that while the chants were aimed at Egypt’s players and not directly at him, they were still offensive. He stressed that as a Muslim, such behaviour was unacceptable and should not be tolerated in football.
He added that using religion as a form of mockery reflects ignorance and racism, urging fans to uphold respect and focus on supporting their teams rather than attacking people’s beliefs.
The Royal Spanish Football Federation also condemned the incident, reiterating its opposition to racism and any form of misconduct in stadiums.
Spain’s head coach, Luis de la Fuente, described the actions as unacceptable, calling for those responsible to be identified and removed from football environments.
The match, which ended 0-0, was originally planned to take place in Qatar but was relocated to Barcelona due to ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
Spain made several changes to their squad following a recent victory over Serbia, with Yamal the only player retained in the starting lineup. Egypt, meanwhile, were without star forward Mohamed Salah due to injury.
Following the draw, Spain slipped from the top position in the FIFA world rankings, dealing a setback ahead of their role as co-hosts for the 2030 World Cup.
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