Islamophobic chanting mars Spain’s friendly against Egypt, prompts FIFA disciplinary action

BARCELONA (MNTV) — What was meant to be a celebratory return of international football to Catalonia after an 18-year absence descended into disgrace on March 31 when sections of the 37,000-strong crowd at Espanyol’s RCDE Stadium in Cornellà directed Islamophobic chants at Egypt’s players during a goalless World Cup warm-up friendly — an incident that has since triggered a FIFA disciplinary case against Spain’s football federation and a police investigation.

The fixture had originally been scheduled to take place in Qatar but was relocated to Catalonia due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. 

The atmosphere turned hostile almost immediately. 

Egypt’s national anthem was met with whistles, and within the first ten minutes a portion of the crowd began chanting “bote, bote, bote, musulmán el que no bote” — roughly meaning “jump, jump, jump, whoever doesn’t jump is a Muslim.” 

The chant was repeated around the 22-minute mark and again after the interval. Observers also documented a separate chant of “Spain is Catholic, not Muslim.”

Messages displayed on the stadium’s big screen and read out over the public address system reminded supporters that Spanish legislation prohibits violent, xenophobic, or racist behaviour at sporting events, but the chanting continued regardless. 

At half-time, when Egypt midfielder Issa knelt and kissed the pitch, fresh whistles rang out from the stands.

On the pitch itself, Spain dominated possession but could not convert their chances. Ferran Torres came close early, while Pedri and Cristhian Mosquera both threatened after the break. Egypt were dangerous on the counter, with Omar Marmoush striking the post in the first half. 

The visitors finished with ten men after Hamdy Fathy received a second yellow card late on, but Spain still couldn’t break through, with Alejandro Grimaldo hitting the crossbar in the final minutes.

Swift condemnation

Head coach Luis de la Fuente wasted no time addressing the chanting the moment he entered the press room. 

He expressed revulsion and absolute rejection of any form of xenophobia or racism, calling it completely intolerable. 

He added that violent people exploit football to carve out a space for themselves and should be identified and removed from society.

RFEF president Rafael Louzan characterised the episode as an isolated case that must be contained and never repeated. 

The federation itself issued a statement before full-time condemning any act of violence inside stadiums.

But the most powerful response came the following day from one of Spain’s own. 

Lamine Yamal, the 18-year-old Barcelona forward who is a practising Muslim, posted on Instagram confirming his faith and addressing the incident directly. 

He acknowledged the chanting was aimed at the opposing team rather than at him personally, but said that as a Muslim it remained disrespectful and intolerable.

 He called those who use religion as a tool for mockery inside football stadiums ignorant and racist, while thanking the majority of supporters and signing off with a pointed note: “See you in the World Cup.”

Yamal’s Barcelona teammate Pedri said the squad had been unsettled by what they heard and called for the elimination of such behaviour from the sport. Goalkeeper Joan Garcia also spoke out against the incident.

Political fallout

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called the incident unacceptable and condemned what he described as an uncivil minority tarnishing Spain’s image. Justice Minister Félix Bolaños also denounced the chanting, linking it to what the left-wing government views as a growing tide of far-right racism and xenophobia. Spain’s minister of education, vocational training, and sport issued a similar statement of condemnation. 

Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares personally conveyed Spain’s official condemnation to his Egyptian counterpart.

Real Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa offered a more defensive take, arguing that Spain is fundamentally a tolerant and non-racist society, and that if it were otherwise, such problems would surface at every stadium every weekend.

FIFA steps in

On April 7, FIFA announced it had opened disciplinary proceedings against the RFEF. The world governing body reviewed video evidence from the match alongside reports from the referee, match inspector, and the on-site security team before deciding to act. 

Potential penalties include fines and partial stadium closures — a prospect that is especially awkward timing given that Spain is set to co-host the 2030 World Cup alongside Portugal and Morocco, a majority-Muslim country. Cornellà is among the candidate host venues for that tournament.

Separately, Catalonia’s regional police force, the Mossos d’Esquadra, opened its own investigation, which is being handled by the Prosecutor’s Office for Hate Crimes and Discrimination.

A recurring problem

The incident is not an isolated one in Spanish football. It is part of a pattern of discriminatory behaviour that has overshadowed the sport in recent years, with Real Madrid’s Brazilian forward Vinícius Júnior repeatedly subjected to racial abuse from fans across the country. 

The chant heard at the RCDE Stadium is itself well-known in Spanish football culture and has been directed at opposing supporters in various contexts, though its use against a team from a predominantly Muslim country gave it an especially targeted and ugly edge.

There may be some avenue for accountability: tickets for the friendly were sold on a nominative basis, requiring personal identification for purchase, which could help authorities identify those responsible.

For Spain, the episode casts a shadow over its World Cup preparations as the European champions head toward Group H, where they will face Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay this summer in North America. 

It also raises uncomfortable questions about whether the country can credibly present itself as a welcoming co-host of the 2030 tournament — particularly to a partner nation whose population is overwhelmingly Muslim.