BARCELONA — During Tuesday’s friendly match against Egypt, Spain’s fans received multiple warnings to cease racist chanting after a series of anti-Muslim remarks occurred in the first half.
A message was shown on the screen at halftime and read aloud by the stadium announcer at Espanyol’s RCDE Stadium in Barcelona, urging supporters to refrain from xenophobic language and songs.
This message was reiterated early in the second half, albeit with sections of the crowd responding with whistles to the request.
Before the match, Egypt’s national anthem was met with loud whistling, followed by chants of “Musulmán el que no bote,” which translates to “If you’re not jumping, you’re a Muslim.” This was further accompanied by whistling as some Egyptian players knelt and kissed the ground at halftime.
In response, the Royal Spanish Football Federation publicly condemned the chants. They posted on social media, stating, “The RFEF stands against racism in football and condemns any act of violence inside stadiums.”
Egypt is predominantly a Muslim country, with Islam as its official state religion.
One of Spain’s starting players, Lamine Yamal, is Muslim. The Barcelona forward, whose father is Moroccan, practices the religion and participated in Ramadan last month.
This match served as a warm-up for the World Cup this summer, with both Spain and Egypt qualifying for the tournament set to take place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
La Roja will compete in Group H against Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay, while Egypt will face Belgium, New Zealand, and Iran in Group G.