Khaberni - The International Football Federation (FIFA) clarified on Tuesday to Agence France-Presse, that it has initiated disciplinary action against the Spanish Football Federation over the racist "anti-Islamic" chants heard during last week's friendly international match against Egypt in Barcelona.
The friendly match, which featured teams that qualified for the 2026 World Cup and took place in Cornellà at the Espanyol stadium, was marred by anti-Islamic chants "Whoever doesn’t jump is a Muslim" chanted by a portion of the Spanish fans.
This new incident sparked a wave of outrage in the country, leading to an investigation by the Catalan police.
The Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez especially denounced what he described as an "unacceptable incident," pointing to a "minority" of fans who "tarnished" Spain's image, a country that will co-host the 2030 World Cup alongside Portugal and Morocco, a country with a majority Muslim population.
Barcelona's rising talent and "La Roja" star, Laymen Jamal, who is also a Muslim, himself denounced "an intolerable lack of respect".
Despite efforts by the authorities and several court rulings, this case exemplifies another challenge in Spanish football's struggle to eradicate racism from the stadiums and on the pitch, as incidents have increased in recent months.
The Brazilian star of Real Madrid, Vinicius, who has become a symbol of anti-discrimination in football, has been the most frequent target of these violations since arriving in Madrid in 2018. Yet, only a part of these incidents has led to sanctions.
